Footballers Life Issue 16

FOOTBALLERS’ LIFE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 16 €21.00 - £20.00

B US I NE SS

•

A DV ICE

&

LUX URY

w w w. f o o t b a lle r s lif e.c o m I n s t a : @ f o o t b a l le r s lif e ma ga z in e

LIFESTYL E

Carlo

Ancelotti 5

A Champion the Top

4

in the Leagues

times Champions League Winner

LUIS DIAZ Great Impact

HMRC Taxation on Image Rights

Mark Noble

500 game Legend

Polestar 02

Electric Roadster

Hotels

A special selection

Advice • Talk to the Players • Cars • Fashion • Gadgets • Watches & Jewellery • Property • Travel • Health

c o n t r i b u t o r s

Contributors Nii Anteson Senior Associate Sheridans

Daniel Geey

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Adrian Kajumba Journalist

Fraser Reid

Partner Sheridan’s Lawyers

Partner - Level Law

Deborah Arthurs

Max Nilov

Lifestyle Director

Art Advisor

Cristina Crețu

Gelu Maravela

MPR Partners

MPR Partners

Mark Bowden

Duncan Wright

Mental Performance Coach

Journalist

Michelle Sloane

Alexis Armitage

Lawyer

Lawyer

Lewis Marsden

Jermaine Malcolm

Journalist

Sports Lawyer

Calum Hanrahan

Phil Parkinson

Solicitor Shakespeare Martineau

Head of Commercial law at Blacks Solicitors

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i n t r o d u c t i o n

Welcome

Issue

to the

16

of

Footballers’ Life Magazine Welcome to the latest issue of Footballers’ Life Magazine. As we head out of Spring and into Summer I am delighted to once again present another insightful edition that delves into a number of highly topical subjects including the details of the expulsion of ex-footballers, managers and celebrities from gambling advertisement materials by the CAP and the continued developments regarding an independent regulator in football.

Our cover story is the remarkable achievement of Carlo Ancelotti winning the league as manager in the top 5 European countries and the first manager to win the Champions League 4 times.

Also the impact of Luis Diaz in his first season at Liverpool and a tribute to Mark Noble ending his career at West Ham. As always, we also showcase some of the latest

DUNCAN EDWARD PRATT

Founder / Editor in chief

gadgets, property and luxury goods as well as the very best hotels and resorts from around the world. In addition, we also look at some exquisite Greek Villas owned and operated by our latest travel partner www.thegreekvillas.com.

We hope you enjoy this edition, please send comments to duncan@footballerslife.com

As another season closes and we begin to reflect on the highs and lows of the beautiful game, we also pay tribute to a wonderful servant to the sport, West Ham legend Mark Noble who hangs his boots up after 18 seasons with the east Londoners.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a wonderful summer.

Best wishes, Duncan

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c o n t e n t s

Contents 10-15

CARLO ANCELOTTI

5

A Champion in the the Top Leagues

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28-29

FOOTBALLERS LIFE

INDEPENDENT REGULATOR

E N G L I S H F O OT B A L L

F O OT B A L L E R S L I F E C O N S U LTA N C Y

20-23

IMA GE R IG HTS RPC

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LAWBLACKS

NAVIGATING AGREEMENTS

26-27

GA MB L IN G

A DV E RT I S E M E N T S

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34-35

L UI S DI AZ LIVERPOOL

30-31

VA R

S C OT T I S H F O OT B A L L

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M A R K N OB L E

WEST HAM

44-45

SCOT T PARKE R

BOURNEMOUTH

46-47

QU A N TA S

N F T G A L L E RY

64-69 BALR. S S 22

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URBANISTA LOS ANGELES

ENG L A N D

44-45 56-59

N AT I O N W I D E

P OLESTAR 02

74-75 D OTTI R

HEADPHONES

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EDIFIER TWS330 NB

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c o n t e n t s

84-87

N E W R E S E RVO I R

K A N I S T E R S I LV E R

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ST M

C H A RG E T R E E S W I N G

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B O U N D A RY

N E W S M A RT H O M E S E C U R I T Y

THE GREEK VILLAS W W W. T H E G R E E K V I L L A S . C O M

88-89

104-105

ROY A L OA K

REVIEW

AUDEMARS PIGUET

C HA I S S MON ET, C OG NAC

90-91

108-110

N E B U L A 41.5 S T E E L

CAMBRIDGE

A R N O L D & SON

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98-101

THE FELLOWS H O U S E

114-119

B Ü RG E NSTOC K

F O OT B A ;; E R S L I F E R E V I E W

120-127

W Y N D H A M G R A N D A LG A RV E GOLDEN VISA

128-129

A LVA YAC H T S

OCEAN ECO 60 COUPÉ

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a n c e l o t t i

Carlo

Ance PEAK about the managerial greats in the history of football and conversation always leads to Sir Alex Ferguson, Bill Shankly or Pep Guardiola.

Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and the Celtic titan Jock Stein are others thrown up by lovers of the game when it comes to who has been the very best.

So it is a strange anomaly that Carlo Ancelotti rarely gets a mention. After all, the Italian maestro has enjoyed a career in the dugout that rivals every single other who has done the job before.

On pure numbers alone, Ferguson stands out above the rest by virtue of the astonishing 48 trophies he amassed during his brilliant career at Aberdeen and Manchester United.

That league title, won with a side in transition as the club struggles to maintain its financial status post-pandemic, is testament to the tactical pragmatism and man-management that has been the hallmark of his caree

Mourinho has also taken his talents across Europe and achieved success in his own imitable style.

Yet no-one has done what Ancelotti has in the game. No-one else has led teams to domestic title success in the five top European leagues in the game and after beating Liverpool in Paris becomes the first manager to win the Champions League 4 times.

So maybe it is time, to coin a phrase now used frequently on social media among the football fraternity, that we put some respect by the 62-year-old’s name.

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“

For in guiding Real Madrid to LaLiga success this season, the 35th in the Spanish club’s history, Ancelotti has elevated himself to the very pinnacle of the coaching game.

Ask anyone in the game, and they will not have a bad word to say about the man who has now been imperious with AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real.

Owners, former players, rival bosses and the media – they are unanimous in their prais of Ancelotti’s character, the basis of which all comes from his upbringing growing up on farm where his family ran a cheese business, and his schooling under the guidance of prie

Ancelotti said: “He [his father] was a farmer, we had rented land and cows.

The milk was to produce Parmeggiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese).

A Champion in the the Top 5 Leagues

elotti

“

er.

se na ests.

I spent fouryears in a school run by priests, the Salesians “You had to wait a year for the cheese to mature. He was a very calm, balanced man - that helped to form my character.

is pragmatism, a calmness under pressure which masks the burning passion and love for the game he has always had.

“I spent four years in a school run by priests, the Salesians. I learned discipline, how to manage my time.

He added: ”I don’t see it as a sacrifice, it’s a pleasure. You suffer a lot but you enjoy a lot too.

“I learned how to be responsible - before, I always had my mother and grandmother to help me. I didn’t like studying, but I ended up becoming a qualified electrician”.

“I get my energy from the day-to-day routine, that’s what I like. The day-today prepares the body for the suffering it takes on the day of the game.

The calmness and humble nature of his younger years has helped form the bedrock of his managerial style.

“If you lose, you don’t sleep and if you win, your mind is going over all of the good things and you can’t sleep either”.

Rarely do you see the 62-year-old ranting and raving on the touchline like some of his more expressive rivals. Instead there

“I am not an obsessive person, I like football a lot, it’s a passion of mine, but I try to keep things as simple as possible.

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“Football forme isn’t complicated, it’s simple a nmc oe ul on t t i

“Football for me isn’t complicated, it’s simple, even in strategy. Attacking requires creativity, defending requires organisation. I can show my players more about defending, attacking is more about being creative and I don’t want to interfere with players’ talent in that.

“That Modric pass with the outside of his boot [in the Champions League win over Chelsea] - I don’t need to tell him anything - or show Karim where to position himself inside the area. I don’t consider myself to be strict about those things”.

There is no ego about the man, perhaps a rarity in the modern game and especially from someone who has achieved so much not just as a manager but as a player too.

This is a man, after all, who was of the highest quality as a footballer – winning Serie A titles first at Roma and then as part of the great AC Milan team of the 1980s, which also conquered Europe twice.

Yet he knows instinctively how to work with his players in the search for the right result, as was evident in the extraordinary Champions League semi-final victory over Manchester City.

“

Having watched his Real side somehow score twice in the final three minutes to take the tie into extra-time, while opposite number Guardiola was frantically attempting to galvanise his players, Ancelotti had such clarity of thought that he was able to take advice from his players over how to approach the following 30 minutes.

winning SerieAtitles first at Roma and then as part of the greatAC Milan team of the 1980s 12

Midfielder Toni Kroos explained: “Ancelotti asked for the opinion of the experienced players on who he should sub on at extra-time.

“This situation describes him perfectly as a coach and is why he works so well with the team.

“There are coaches who say leave me alone and let me decide, definitely. But he is interested in our opinion and that is amazing.”

“

It is an example of the way Ancelotti has evolved throughout his managerial career, taking in lessons from the greats he worked under such as Fabio Capello and Arrigo Saachi.

This situation describes him perfectlyas a coach

Training in Italy was completely different before him [Saachi]

”

Capello, he reveals, helped develop his understanding of the kinds of decisions a manager would need to take, while in the case of the legendary Saachi, it was the way he tactically changed Milan as a club – and the Italian game as a result.

He said: “Training in Italy was completely different before him [Saachi]. He changed everything, the individual aspect, physical, tactics in defence and attack.

“One day he asked us what we didn’t like about training, just for a laugh, we said a mini-match, and he left, he couldn’t handle it.

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a n c e l o t t i

“A brilliant coach, who changed the idea of Italian football. It still had a defensive focus but not Catenaccio, it was in the opponents’ half. I remember when we played here in Madrid and they were caught out offside 24 times.

“Right at the last minute, Capello would leave me on the bench or in the stands and I couldn’t understand it. He told me that when I was a coach, I would understand.

“Players in my day wanted to become coaches more than modern day players, they find it difficult to put themselves in our shoes”.

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times Champions League Winner

Though his impact at the Bernabeu this season suggests there is still plenty of mileage left in the tank just yet, time waits for no man and Ancelotti is already looking towards a future away from the game.

What is clear is that the Italian has no thoughts about managing any other team once his second spell in charge of the Spanish champions comes to an end.

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“

“

”

I want to be a university professor of football

Ancelotti adds: “I want to be a university professor of football, I hope UEFA or someone give me an academic title so I can set exams for those who have an opinion on football, to see if they really know.

“When I leave coaching, I’d like to do something else, I have five grandkids, I’ve married for the second time and we haven’t done much together, we have to do more.

“There are so many things to do that I’ve had to put aside. There’s a lot of places I’ve never been to. I’ve never been to Australia. I’ve never been to Rio de Janeiro. I want to go visit my sister more often.

“Unfortunately you can’t do everything, so the day I retire, I’ll have all these things to do.

“After this period at Real Madrid it is likely that I will retire. But if Real Madrid want me to be here for another 10 years, I’ll be here for another 10 years.”

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fo o t b a l l e r s

F

l i fe

c o n s u l t a n cy

FOOTBALLERS LIFE C O N S U LT A N C Y ootballers’ Life Consultancy supports professional players, clubs and executives at all levels across Europe.

Utilising our industry-leading European network, particularly across the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium we are able to offer support with the transfer of player’s, staff and general introductions in a highly professional manner.

Owned and operated by British born Duncan Pratt who played professionally in the Netherlands, Footballers’ Life Consultancy offers a genuine, personal experience to its clients and can offer support in a vast range of services:

Scouting networks Player recruitment advice Player career mentoring Brand & PR management Legal support through our approved supply network Contract negotiations Social and lifestyle brand networking Personal procurement consulting

If you would like to have a confidential discussion on how Footballers’ Life Consultancy can support you or your club, please email duncan@footballerslife.com.

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a d v i c e

HMRC

BACKGROUND HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) derives a significant amount of tax from the football industry, not only from taxing player salaries, but also through broadcasting rights, tourism and hospitality. Football has been a focus area for HMRC for several years and, given the large sums of money involved in the industry and significant government budget deficits due to the coronavirus pandemic, HMRC's scrutiny of the football industry is expected to continue.

FOOTBALL INDUSTRY FOCUS ON THE TAXATION OF

The overall additional tax collected by HMRC from investigations into professional football in the year ending 31 March 2020 was £73.1m, more than double the previous figure of £35.3m.

In the tax year 2019-20, the number of footballers investigated by HMRC increased from 87 to 246 individuals. It is understood HMRC have open civil investigations in relation to over 40 football clubs, as well as criminal investigations into clubs, agents and players, which have included dawn raids and arrests.

Payments made to football agents, which were the subject of a previous article in this magazine [CAN WE LINK THIS?], have been a particular focus for HMRC, with the number of investigations into the tax affairs of football agents increasing from 23 in 2018-19 to 55 in 2019-20. Another area of interest for HMRC are payments made to players in respect of their image rights.

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Clubs often enter arrangements with their players which involve the club paying the player an amount in respect of their services as a footballer and a separate amount in order to exploit the player’s image rights (the Image Rights Payments).

The player may have assigned their image rights to a separate personal service company (PSC), and in such cases the club will make the Image Rights Payments to the PSC, rather than directly to the player.

The PSC may be established in either the UK or overseas. In the case of a UK PSC, the PSC will pay UK corporation tax on the Image Rights Payments it receives. However, in the case of an overseas PSC, the PSC will not pay UK tax on the Image Rights Payments and, if the player is not subject to tax in the UK when they receive income from the PSC, the Image Rights Payments may escape UK tax altogether.

HMRC often seek to challenge such arrangements, arguing that the Image Rights Payments in fact represent reward for the player’s services as a footballer and should therefore be treated as earnings from the player’s employment, such that the club is liable to account for PAYE and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) in respect of the Image Rights Payments.

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Hull City AFC case

a d v i c e

The case of Hull City AFC (Tigers) Limited v HMRC [2019] UKFTT 227 (TC), which was decided by the First-tier Tribunal (the Tribunal), provides judicial guidance on the question of whether payments purportedly made for the exploitation of image rights constitutes “earnings” of the player which are subject to PAYE and NIC. The Tribunal found that it was necessary to take a realistic view of the payments and consider their substance and not just their form, having regard to the evidence as a whole. In that case, the Tribunal found that payments made by Hull City AFC (the Club) to a BVI company in respect of Geovanni Gomez’s overseas image rights were properly characterised as earnings for the purposes of PAYE and NIC, such that the Club was liable to account for tax and NIC on the payments.

The Tribunal considered the following findings and inferences to be particularly relevant in this case: • The Club did not have any clearly defined intention or plan to commercially exploit the player’s overseas image rights.

• There was no reliable evidence as to how the Club arrived at the annual image rights payment.

• The Club did not obtain any valuation or opinion as to the value of the player’s overseas image rights.

• The Club offered to increase the sum payable for the player’s overseas image rights without any contractual obligation to do so and as part of negotiations intended to secure the player’s services as a footballer for a further year.

• The Club did not have the resources to exploit the player’s overseas image rights even if there was a market to do so.

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• The Club did not have any real interest in commercially exploiting the player’s overseas image rights.

• There was little if any prospect of the Club exploiting those rights.

• The player’s overseas image rights were never commercially exploited, before, during or after his period at the Club.

• The Club did not satisfy the Tribunal that the player’s overseas image rights had any commercial value.

• Nobody at the Club could reasonably have believed that the rights had any commercial value to the Club.

• Nobody at the Club ever addressed their minds to whether it was realistic to consider that the Club could commercially exploit the player’s overseas image rights.

Practical tips in the current playing field The Hull City AFC case provides useful guidance on how players and clubs can prevent scrutiny by HMRC of their image rights arrangements, or successfully defend the arrangements after HMRC have opened an enquiry.

HMRC’s Employment Income Manual, at EIM00739, states: “Commerciality should be at the heart of an agreement between an employer and a company established by an employee for the exploitation of image rights. Without being prescriptive, HMRC expects this to be demonstrable”. The manual provides a list of records which the employer may consider keeping. At EIM00737, HMRC’s Employment Income Manual states: “With material transactions there is an expectation of evidenced planning, valuations and distinct negotiations”.

Based on the principles in Hull City AFC and the recommendations in HMRC’s guidance, clubs, players and agents should bear in mind the following when entering into image rights arrangements: • The club should document its plan to commercially exploit the player’s image rights and its reasons for wanting to do so.

• The Board of Directors of the club should consider: the active use of image rights as a benefit to the commercial activities of the club; whether to seek new agreements; reviews of the outcome of existing agreements; and the possibilities for increased value additional to rights existing under the employment contract.

The club should retain copies of board minutes demonstrating these considerations.

• When the arrangements are entered into, the club should obtain an independent valuation of the player’s image rights or prepare internal analysis of value based on the club’s previous experience. The club should retain copies of the valuation or analysis.

• The club should accurately record the basis on which the club arrived at the amount of the image rights payments and the basis for any agreed variation in the amount the club pays for the image rights.

• The club should retain evidence of negotiation of the terms of each image rights agreement to demonstrate consideration on an individual basis and to reflect any differences between the exploitation of image rights within and outside the UK.

• The club should retain evidence of due diligence regarding the image rights company and any advice provided to the player regarding the establishment of an image rights company.

• The club should ensure that it retains evidence of the way in the which it has exploited the player’s image rights, for example copies of contracts with third party sponsors. The club should retain evidence of any subsequent discussions about the performance of services under the image rights agreement and actions taken.

• The club should prepare a business plan for promotional activities involving the exploitation of image rights and keep a record of the outcome of reviews of performance against that plan, including details of actions taken if the club is not realising a commercial return from an image rights agreement.

In practice, it should be easier to defend arrangements where the player concerned has a high profile and therefore the value of the player’s image rights is more easily demonstrable. It is also helpful where the club is large and can demonstrate that it has the resources to exploit the player’s image rights.

Conclusion We anticipate that HMRC will continue to challenge image rights arrangements for the foreseeable future. However, by following the guidance set out above, clubs and players increase their prospects of successfully demonstrating the commerciality of the arrangements and, should it become necessary, defending the arrangements against a challenge from HMRC.

Michelle Sloane, Partner, RPC

Rebekka Sandwell, Senior Associate, RPC

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Athletes and management companies:

Navigating agreements When entering into an agreement with a management company, there are a number of key points that athletes should be aware of to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Phil Parkinson, head of Commercial law at Blacks Solicitors, shares his top tips on what athletes should be aware of and how they can ensure any contractual agreements that are signed with management companies are legitimate and the process runs smoothly.

What to know about agreements Agreements are always better in writing.

They create clear boundaries of expectations and importantly, allow for any unplanned circumstances that might arise.

Travel, endorsements, on field and off field issues should all be included as basic clauses in any agreements that are entered into.

It should be agreed with other coaches within the player’s group about responsibilities in relation to management companies. Does the management company want to pick up obligations already dealt with by other coaches or persons within the group? If so, these need to be documented and current agreements amended.

Phil Parkinson

Coordinating contracts There are a number of key points that athletes need to look out for when coordinating contracts with management companies.

This includes the terms of agreement, for example how long each side needs, termination provisions, and what the expectations and obligations are on each party.

It’s also important to consider intellectual property, particularly brand rights and endorsements. Who has control over them and will there be a licence to use a brand?

The athlete should consider any performance obligations within their contract. Are they obliged to keep a certain level of performance? What happens if they don’t?

Any additional considerations?

Consider matters outside of the legal sphere. Does the athlete and the management company get on, and will they work in tandem with the athlete’s other stakeholders, such as team members?

Some athletes prefer more hands-on-management while others may work better with a company that’s only available when they’re needed. The type of management company is also important, for example some will specialise in social media.

If you’re looking for legal advice on entering into an agreement with a management company, please visit https://www.lawblacks.com/business/commercial-law/

www.LawBlacks.com

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a d v i c e

CAP invokes ban on football stars featuring in gambling advertisements n a move welcomed by many in the game, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has recently announced the expulsion of exfootballers, managers, and celebrities from gambling advertisement materials. The last few years has not only presided over a meteoric rise in the volume of betting operators and their subsequent advertising campaigns, but also a significant increase in the number of high-profile individuals used to front up such marketing activity.

This development comes as the government plots a sweeping reform of the UK’s native gaming industry, with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport currently executing an in-depth probe into an array of gambling pursuits. Part of this review process includes an investigation into the consequences of sports wagering advertising on society. Although findings from this analysis are due to be published imminently, the report has been subjected to protracted delays caused by the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, the need for change is pressing.

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Indeed, concerningly, the latest piece of legislation in this field goes all the way back to the Gambling Act of 2005.

Therefore, unsurprisingly, the detail of this bill falls well short of providing enough scope to cover the astronomical rise in online betting enterprises over the last decade. This has resulted in a substantial increase in problem gambling, and has left vulnerable players more exposed than ever.

Nevertheless, CAP have already grasped the nettle, and acted before the national government produces its white paper on proposed changes to the sector’s regulatory structure. From 1st October this year, sportsbook operators will be unable to employ anyone who has noteworthy stature in football to appear in their adverts, in a ruling that extends to celebrities and other wellknown personnel. The organization is particularly keen on mitigating the risk of unhealthy gambling behaviours in under-18’s, and has therefore set out its stall to also prevent those with extensive social media followings joining gambling projects. For example, Chris Hughes, who originally acquired fame through his 2017 Love Island exploits, currently enjoys an ambassadorial position at Coral Racing. The new, official guidelines assert that individuals ‘’likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture’’, will be restricted from gaming advertisement and marketing programmes.

However, the change will have greater impact to the roster of footballing personalities who routinely grace our screens with more frequent regularity. The likes of Jose Mourinho, Jamie Redknapp, Jermaine Jenas, and Peter Crouch, despite widespread criticism, have all enjoyed the commercial benefits of playing integral roles in the marketing strategies of various sportsbook platforms. In autumn this year, these types of persons will no longer feature in T.V adverts, press releases, or within in-platform content. Paul Merson, who works directly with Sky Bet lynchpin Jeff Stelling in Sky’s Soccer Saturday coverage, has been vocal in his condemnation of the growing presence of sports gambling advertisements. The ex-Arsenal midfielder, who recently opened up about his personal issues with gambling addiction in a BBC documentary, suggests that television prompts are a ‘major trigger’ for problem punters. The feature-length programme also saw Merson comment on colleagues who have entered into the sports betting fray, mentioning it’s something that ‘’sickens’’ him.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport seek to address a number of controversial areas within the gambling sector, no less than the role of sportsbook sponsorship within elite levels of football. This season, nine Premier League clubs have adorned front-of-shirt betting sponsors, with six second-tier teams also enabling sports betting graphics to be emblazoned across the centre of their jersey.

The rise of cryptocurrency wagering has also begun to infiltrate England’s top league, with Southampton, Watford, and Wolves all harbouring links with crypto-based entities.

The October adjustment will pre-empt a shutdown of famous faces appearing in campaigns before momentum builds towards the World Cup in Qatar at the conclusion of the year. This suitably navigates a considerable risk for youthful, potential players, and usurps a huge opportunity for betting companies.

Shahriar Coupal, the Committee of Advertising Practice’s director, has been particularly vociferous in the need for enhanced protection of younger individuals. ‘’The days of gambling ads featuring sports stars, video game imagery and other content of strong appeal to under-18’s are numbered’’ said Coupal, adding that ‘’by ending these practices, our new rules invite a new era for gambling ads, more particular to the adult audience they can target, and more befitting of the age-restricted product they’re promoting.’’

Time will tell whether Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nadine Dorries, will really hold the industry to account with stronger regulation and firmer control measures. However, at least in advertising circles, the net tightens over firms complicit in the exploitation of vulnerable players. There may be some distance to go before a wide-reaching intervention of illicit gambling company practices comes to the fore, but at least CAP’s decisive action is a step in the right direction.

Eradication of shirt sponsors next? You wouldn’t bet against it……

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a d v i c e

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WILL A NEW, INDEPENDENT REGULATOR BE ESTABLISHED TO MONITOR THE GOVERNANCE OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL In the wake of the recent failed European Super League project, alongside a number of well-documented wind-up orders on professional clubs, Westminster has announced plans to establish an independent regulator to monitor English football’s governance.

This legislative position has been partially catalysed by the recent publication of the Crouch Report, a fan-led analysis of how the game functions and operates.

The review offered a damning indictment on a number of topics, no less than on financial mismanagement administered by owners more concerned with accumulating personal wealth than promoting the interests of a football club.

Tracey Crouch, who previously held office as Minister for Sport, has submitted a list of ten comprehensive recommendations to the government, which centre around themes such as increasing financial transparency, promoting fan involvement and engagement, the re-distribution of elite

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transfer expenditure, and establishing a new validation process for prospective owners.

This would all be underpinned by a suitably powerful, neutral regulator, who would be tasked to protect the integrity of the sport, and ensure the continued existence of its clubs. In a landscape traditionally shaped by money, the creation of an independent regulator could significantly shift the look and feel of the English game.

‘’Football is nothing without its fans, and for too long the football authorities have collectively been unable to tackle some of the biggest issues in the game’’ said Nadine Dorries, the current Culture Secretary, adding ‘’the government took decisive action to conduct the fan-led review, and today we have endorsed every one of its ten strategic recommendations and the approach set-out by Tracey Crouch’’

A government sanctioned review of this nature is a clear signal that the winds of change are blowing. Fan reaction to the ESL debacle indicated that a pent-up frustration amongst supporters had been bubbling under the surface for some time, with the farcical proposal of a breakaway league just too much to stomach.

Moreover, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has already expressed their support towards Crouch’s ten-point plan, and have subsequently voiced their intention to produce a white paper on the matter this Summer.

Nevertheless, despite the cabinet stating its desire to start work on potential legislation, Crouch has already emphasized her concern about the absence of a clear and coherent timeline for implementation, describing this development as ‘worrying’. The nearest estimate is that the new rules will be in place for 2024, but there is no concrete framework for how this will be delivered, or indeed definitely when. Lucy Powell, Dorries’ opposite number in position as Labour’s Shadow Culture Secretary, has already fired a warning shot to the government about dragging their heels. Powell stated that the anticipated dates for assimilation into law have been ‘a real disappointment’.

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Unsurprisingly, given its current operational freedom, the Premier League has denounced calls for a regulator, asserting that whilst reform was required, an independent regulator was a step too far. Last month, Helen MacNamara, who heads up the Premier League’s department of Policy and Corporate Affairs, put on record that the organization were ‘definitely’ against the introduction of a monitoring body. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, the Premier League have gestured that a new fan campaign will be launched next season, designed to lend a better ear to supporter views and issues. Yet, this initiative slaps of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

The EFL were more receptive, and have already began working with the government in earnest on several proposals they feel will add value.

Nevertheless, the recommendation that would prove most beneficial to the English Football League may also become the one most elusive to establish. Indeed, perhaps the most controversial suggested measure is to impose a transfer levy on Premier League clubs, a cost that would then summarily be re-distributed throughout the footballing pyramid. Currently, the government seemed to have branded this as too much of a financial hot potato, and have batted this specific part of Crouch’s findings back to the footballing authorities, urging them to resolve locally. Given the amount of cash at stake, this particular element may succumb to the more familiar force of Premier League commercial interests.

True, progress on this matter is already lacking, with Crouch herself stating, ‘’it is noticeable and disappointing that there has been no progress on discussions between the football authorities on the redistribution of finances’’.

than by former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, and chairman of the Football Association, David Bernstein. Interestingly, the Premier League attempted to lobby governmental ministers into considering the F.A to play the role of regulator, but Bernstein has distanced himself from this campaign, instead supporting Crouch’s review. In an interview with BBC Five Live, the governing body chief said, ‘’I believe that if this is handled properly by the right people, it could make a real difference.

This proposal is bringing greater independence into the game and ensuring that the very strong vested interests that have controlled the game for so long will be balanced’’. Sky Sports pundit Neville, who is well-known for his on-air impassioned speeches and overt views on the current governance of football, welcomed the news. However, he, like many other, was also critical of the delay in implementation.

One of the most eagerly awaited proposals would surely be the introduction of a new owner’s test, which promises a far more in-depth approach to vetting potential club leadership teams. In tandem with a brandnew ‘integrity test’, prospective stakeholders will need to present compelling evidence of how club funding would be secured.

Even more importantly, these items would be continually reviewed throughout the owner’s tenure, with regular check-ins on progress and, as previously referenced, unprecedented access to club finances.

The embarrassment of untangling Roman Abramovich’s dark web of investments has further propelled the concept of illicit ownership practices into the public eye. Furthermore, accusations of ‘sports washing’, in light of the Saudi state-backed acquisition of Newcastle United, has also accentuated the issue.

Therefore, Boris Johnson now faces mounting pressure to expediate the legislative process, and swiftly look to establish conditions for an independent regulator to be formed.

The campaign to embrace an independent regulatory system has been championed by a number of key footballing personalities, no less

However, for the first time in the modern era, there is genuine optimism that the individuals who walk the game’s traditional corridors of power may eventually be reigned in. Over several decades now, the exponential commercial growth of football has served to marginalize fans, destroy footballing institutions, and squeeze wealth into the pockets of the few. Whether the government’s apparent receptiveness to the measures carries a genuine desire to radically change the apparatus of rule, or if it’s just more political posturing from a party currently under intense scrutiny, is so far unclear. Nevertheless, Crouch’s probe, the first-time fans have been given centre stage in an exercise of this magnitude, seems to have made an incisive impression.

This may not revolutionize English football overnight, but, in Crouch’s own words, it could be ‘’an enormous step forward’’ towards positive reform.

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VAR DUE TO DESCEND ON SCOTTISH FOOTBALL BY THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR

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n a landmark development for Scottish football, the governing body of its four league divisions, the SPFL, have announced that VAR will be introduced into the nation’s top-flight next season. The decision to pursue video technology came as an output of a recent membership vote, with 41 out of the leagues’ 42 clubs offering their support for its incorporation into the Scottish game. It’s since been revealed that the single, dissenting voice came from a second-tier side.

Despite clubs going to the ballot box before the end of the current campaign, the establishment of VAR will be shelved until December, launching after the conclusion of this year’s World Cup in Qatar. This ‘staggered start’ has been championed by Neil Doncaster, the SPFL’s Chief Executive, who asserts that this was the most favourable moment to land the new system. ‘’Ideally, you’d want it at the start of the season, but it simply wouldn’t have been ready’’ commented Doncaster, adding, ‘you could have taken the view that you could until season ’2324, but there was a desire to bring VAR in as soon as it could reasonably happen’’. He also highlighted that this approach was successfully undertaken in both the Polish Ekstraklasa and the Czech First League, and is therefore optimistic towards a seamless integration come the end of the year.

The potential establishment of VAR had originally split opinion in Scotland, as the footballing world bedded in a platform which initially attracted its fair share of criticism. Doncaster stresses that the SPFL’s initially conservative stance has aided its prospective implementation, with many of VAR’s teething issues now resolved, emphasizing that, ‘’the view is that getting more of the big decisions correct outweighed the drawbacks (of installing the technology straightaway)’’. Historically, critics have also pointed towards the substantial expenditure involved, challenging whether this warranted the benefits the technology had to offer. However, these concerns seem to have subsided in recent months, with the utilisation of VAR becoming more slick, professional, and, most noticeably, accurate. Furthermore, the SPFL have proposed a ‘sliding scale’, which serves to dilute the financial burden on those most vulnerable. Although, in fairness, associated fees are perhaps more modest than previously thought. The Scottish Premier League’s twelve member clubs will shoulder all of the £1.2 million per season operational costs, with scale of payment dependent on final league position.

A £128k bandwidth will exist between the amount levied on last place, versus the amount charged to the league champions.

The latter will be required to submit funds that account for over 16% of the total cost.

SPL clubs will adopt the Hawkeye Innovations System, the same programme embraced in England and across many other European top-tier divisions, offering a level of consistency when it comes to the league’s strongest outfits competing in continental competitions. Pilots have already taken place at youth level, with further trials scheduled for the coming weeks. The league will adopt the FIFA mantle of ‘minimum interference, maximum benefit’ in its approach to VAR, and ensure the system is only triggered in instances where either a clear and obvious mistake has been made by an official, or if a critical incident has been missed. The system will be presided over by either currently serving or recently retired Category 1 grade referees, with at least six supporting cameras in operation at all times.

Doncaster’s organization received criticism over a lack of fan engagement, with supporter groups apparently looped out of negotiations. The SPFL head refuted these claims, albeit with a slight lack of conviction, stating that there had been ‘’fairly detailed consultation exercises’ with fan groups. It’s hoped that the level of transparency will drive down supporter unease, with a number of high-profile refereeing performances irking many fan bases in recent times, particularly those either side of the Glasgow divide.

The Scottish Football Association has welcomed the news, with SFA Chief Executive Ian Maxwell suggesting that the technology will play a ‘’key part in Scottish football’s future’’. The national team has already experienced plenty of fixtures with video assistant referees in attendance, perhaps most noticeably in Vienna last September. The Scots were awarded a second-half spot kick which had gone otherwise unnoticed by in-game officials – and most of the Scottish side. Lydon Dykes tucked away the resultant penalty to help earn a crucial World Cup Qualifying win over Austria.

Indeed, those three points went a long way towards Scotland finding themselves in their current position, on the precipice of participating in a second consecutive major tournament after a twenty-three-year absence. Whether the Tartan Army will be rubbing shoulders with the world’s elite come November is currently unknown, but there’s little doubt that SPL players, several of whom represent the national side, will be subject to the all-seeing eye of VAR come the end of 2022.

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Luis Diaz t a l k

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HE difficulty of arriving from overseas and hitting the ground running in the Premier League is a path trodden by some of the very best to shine in England.

The likes of Thierry Henry, Bernardo Silva and Carlos Tevez all took a period of time to adjust to life in a new country and the demands of the English game.

Which makes it all the more impressive when someone arrives in the world’s most popular league and flourishes from the outset in the way Luis Diaz has done.

Right from the outset the Colombian has been little short of a revelation since becoming the latest player to shine in the red of Liverpool.

To make it even more of an achievement, Diaz was parachuted into a four-pronged assault on success in the middle of the season, courtesy of his £37.5million transfer from Porto.

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Liverpool’s gain is Tottenham’s disappointment, as Spurs dithered before making a serious bid for the 25-year-old, who had also held talks with West Ham before Jurgen Klopp swooped to make his move.

Rarely has a player looked more at home in a top side than Diaz has done at Anfield – but when you consider the journey he has made to becoming a top star, it is perhaps little surprise he has risen to the challenge.

For having grown up in an area of Colombia where the death rate for children under five through malnourishment was six times the national average.

Diaz, 25, hails from the La Guajira region, one of the most neglected and poor areas in the South American country where it is just a battle for the indigenous Wayuu people to buck the statistics by reaching the age of five.

Struggle is a way of life there, and malnourished himself Diaz used to while away his hours watching trains pass by the village of Barrancas carrying coal from local mines to be shipped abroad to richer countries.

It is a childhood he will never forget, and the winger says it has added an inner determination to succeed in football that carries him into every match he plays.

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“From La Guajira. It comes from my roots,” says the Liverpool star about where he gets his self-belief from. “I always played football in my town, in my homeland.

“They are my characteristics, they have instilled in me several things that I have today and now I have grown much more. That’s my game.

“Each game is a revenge for always going out to look for more, I know what it costs and I have to take advantage of every moment, every minute I have.

“The rest is very important for what is to come.”

One of the major narratives of modern football is the workload players have to endure, with an ever increasing programme of club and international matches.

The pandemic only increased the concern that footballers are being asked to perform too regularly than their bodies can cope with.

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...I HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY MOMENT, EVERY MINUTE I HAVE.

Yet there isn’t a player in world football right now who can compete with the schedule Liverpool’s new crowd favourite has encountered over the course of the season.

With the Merseysiders reaching yet another Champions League final, on top of the FA Cup final, should Diaz figure in all the matches then he will have played 70 matches for club and country over the 2021-22 campaign.

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...,YOU FORGET FATIGUE, YOU PLAY, YOU RUN AND YOU FIGHT.

His performance off the bench, when he turned the tide of the second leg against Villarreal in the semi-final, indicates he is likely to have a role in all the remaining games Liverpool have to play.

And for him, talk of tiredness is a nonsense.

He added: “When we reach an instance of these, like a final, what has already happened is erased.

“We know what a final is. In a final you forget fatigue, you play, you run and you fight.”

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EST HAM may have an eye on evolving into one of English football’s biggest clubs, but from next season the club just may not be the same anymore.

For while Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Co have helped turned the Hammers into a genuine force domestically and in Europe the club is losing someone who is the very fabric of what West Ham United is all about – Mark Noble.

The end of the season has heralded the retirement of a player who has been the heartbeat of the East London outfit for the best part of two decades.

Noble brings down the curtain on his oneclub career with the reputation as one of the most respected, honest and professional players of the Premier League era.

A player who has made over 500 appearances for the club he supported as a child growing up in nearby Canning Town, who captained the England under-21s but who just missed out on making the final step up to senior international football.

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And a natural leader who to this day sweeps up away dressing rooms after each match West Ham play as a mark of respect to opposition teams.

Noble said: “One game for West Ham’s first team would have been enough for me, let alone in the Premier League, but to be able to achieve what I’ve achieved at this club and be involved in some history, not just for me but for my family and my kids and their family in the future, I’m very proud of that.”

For much of the campaign there had been the dream of ending his career by lifting aloft the Europa League trophy, denied him by the semi-final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

And even in a season when he has largely been a back-up player used from the bench by David Moyes, there have been occasions when his ability to perform in the midfield in the Premier League has still been evident.

But for Noble, there are no thoughts of extending his career by signing a new one-year contract. He is happy going on out on his own terms.

“I will be 35 in May and I have always said I want to go out when it is my decision, I don’t want to be told by an agent or a club ‘you are done, your legs have gone.’”

“I have watched on for the He adds: “The game last year and played a few has moved on now, games but the recovery at the game is physically strong and powerful. You 34 is different to when you are 21. If you have a bruise see the boys now and a and a dead leg at 22 that has lot of them are freaks! gone in two days but now you get a kick and it is still there three weeks later but that is just your age and what happens.”

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West Ham knew they were onto a good thing when they managed to prise Noble out of the clutches of London rivals Arsenal as a schoolboy – making his first team debut as a 17-year-old back in 2004.

That substitute appearance in a League Cup tie against Southend was vindication for the club’s old scouting partnership of Jimmy Tindall and Jimmy Hampson who managed to take him to the club when he was all set to sign for the Gunners aged 11.

“When I first saw Mark Noble, he reminded me of when I first saw a young Ray Wilkins, as he played the same way,” Tindall explains.

“We’d had a tip to watch a boy called Greg Barwick who was playing over at Loxford Park, Ilford. I went over there and they were playing a team called Lake View. There was this little blond kid who was everywhere, always on the ball, passing it and everything and I just came back and said ‘The boy Barwick did well, but the boy on the other side will be in the first team at 18 if we can get him.

“He was at Arsenal at the time. Jim and I drove up to Newcastle to watch him play for Newham District and spent three days up there and we persuaded him to come and look at West Ham.

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“He was an Under-11 and I thought he could play in our Under-15s, not physically, but his brain was as good as any of the Under-15s we’d got.”

That kid was Noble, but Arsenal still thought they had him in their grasp. A Gunners scout called Tindall and said the promising schoolboy would be signing for the Gunners that same week.

“I phoned up Jimmy and said we had to go over his house, and I carried signing-on forms in my cab,” explained Tindall, who was a part-time scout and part-time taxi driver at the time. “So, we went over there and came out of the house at half-past-two in the morning!

“We signed him there and then. It cost us two tickets for every home game for Mark’s Dad, but the rest is history.”

“I was playing football with his sister in the hallway!”

Hampson said. “I was from Canning Town and they were from Canning Town so we knew the same people. They were just a nice family. To sit down with them was so natural.

“But if that scout from Arsenal hadn’t rung up bragging, then we’d have lost him.”

Noble has spent the past seven seasons as club captain, and his influence has been evident on and off the pitch during a period when the Hammers have suffered relegation and poor form as well as pushing into Europe.

He said: “I have been at West Ham for so long season after season and a lot of those were in relegations battles where you have to drag the boys with you every day, you can’t feel sorry for yourself because it is non-stop.

“I have been lucky that I have never had bad injuries so I have been there every day training with the boys and driving the session and I have been really lucky to have had some great pros at West Ham for the last ten years.

“It does not have to be shouting and screaming, that is only when someone is taking liberties, the thing for me is if I am the captain of the club and I am setting the standards high.

“How can a player turn around and say ‘I’m not doing that’ [if the captain does something]. Thank god I have played over 400 Premier League games for the club so if I am still doing it, like if I am not playing on a Saturday and the boys are running on the pitch after then I am not going to go ‘I am not doing that’, I am going to do it because then they can’t moan.

“The boys who don’t want to train on a Sunday because we have won 3-0 but have not come on and got the hump, if I am out there on the pitch running after the game then so should they be and that is how I have always tried to lead by example.”

Noble has yet to decide what the future will hold for him professionally but he knows that he will keep playing football, just not professionally.

“For sure, when I finish I’ll enjoy having a kick around with my mates, going to the park and having a laugh, you know.

And I think after having a career like I’ve had and playing for 20 years, that will be enjoyable for me,” he said.

“I’ve got my mates still playing for Sunday league teams. Some of them aren’t actually bad footballers. I’m looking forward to just being able to say, ‘You know what, I fancy a kick about.’”

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SCOTT PARKER

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COTT PARKER has never been a man to court controversy – but throughout his career he has always been someone to count on fight for his team.

As a player he led by example, and he has taken that responsibility and professionalism into his fledgling career as a manager.

Which is why the former England captain has chosen to speak out in defence of his Bournemouth side who have secured promotion back to the Premier League at the second attempt.

There are few people with real knowledge of the game who think the Championship is anything but one of the hardest possible leagues to get out of – full of sides who have dropped down from the top flight, competitive from top to bottom.

But Parker has grown fed up of the narrative across some sections of the media and among the football fanbase who believe Bournemouth’s promotion is nothing special and was a given just because they had recently been in the top division.

I always judge somebody on the facts

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So much so the 41-year-old has taken the rare step of going public to demand his players actually get the respect they deserve for a season in which they have conceded fewer goals and kept more clean sheets than any other side in the division.

Parker said: “The narrative that may be said is there’s a huge squad here, we’ve got X amount of money the facts are the facts. And I always judge somebody on the facts. I don’t judge it on hearsay. I don’t judge on it.

“And what are the facts? The facts are at the end of the season. This team sit two points behind a team that everyone perceives as running away of it. And they did. There are a top side with two points behind them.

“This team lost out in the play-offs last year, sold a player which is now starring in the Champions League for £20million, sold Begovic, sold Rico and we’ve replaced them with kids, absolute kids.

“This is a team that top players have left, and replaced with category three Academy players, or players who have been released.

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“While people want to see the big names and I understand we’ve got some, the facts are you still need to get it done. And they’ve got it done. And I think they deserve full credit for that “I’ve never been one to front up like I have, I can front up now because it’s done.

And we’ve got there.

“People can say what they want to say. I think history tells you it’s a lot easier said than done and full credit to my group of players for doing that.

we got promoted.

And they’re the facts.

“We’re a team that at the start of this season, needed to get promotion. And when it all comes down to it, we got promoted. And they’re the facts.

“There’s teams in this division that have come out the Premier League and are not in play-offs.

There’s teams in this division that have just got managed to get into playoffs, like you’ve seen over the course of time. That’s what happens.”

Parker’s three-year career in the dugout has seen him gain promotion from the Championship twice, and suffer the disappointment of relegation with previous club Fulham.

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He is still learning, and no doubt his pedigree as a boss is likely to be questioned again next season when the harsh realities of life in the Premier League promise testing times for a Cherries squad nowhere near as deep in strength and quality as the one relegated two years ago.

Parker adds: “I’ve already been asked ‘next year, you’re going into Premier League.

Have you learned anything as a coach?

How are you going to keep this team up?’.

we’re going to need to build our game on a real solidness as a team

“Well, the facts are, we’re going to the biggest league in the world. And unless you have massive finance, unless you can go and bring in a massive amount of players, it’s a challenge is hard, it’s very, very difficult and they’re the facts.

“It’s another ten steps up, the gap between the championship in the Premier League. It is vast, we’re going to need to build our game on a real solidness as a team, not just the keeper and a back four really, as a unit and as a team.

“We’re going to need to give ourselves a constant solid foundation really so it puts us in good stead in saying that we’re going to face some challenges of course we are.”

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here's two way of approaching NFTs or art in the NFT space. The first is more from an investors perspective and the second being a collector. Much like the traditional art market, you have a wide variety of reasons why someone has purchased a piece, but often it'll fall into these two categories. NFTs are the same. From the outside, it can seem a little odd when you see a JPEG of an Ape making headlines because it sold for six or seven figures. Confusion, bemusement, a whole array of feelings might wash over you.

But there's more than meets the eye, there really has to be.

Some collections are more like tickets to exclusive clubs.

Take for instance the Bored Apes, if you own one, that's your ticket to real life events that are private and full of celebrities and influencers alike. For some, it's a flex, for others who buy them they see these clubs turn into businesses that can keep offering and rewarding their holders. We now have movies being financed through NFTs that will allow each holder to get royalties from any profits generated. The music industry is sure to change too. Gala announced their move into the market, the approach being to allow musicians to share some of the profit with people who have purchased the NFT version of their single or album itself making it in the interests of fans to benefit from promoting their favourite artists.

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Damien Hirst has ventured into the digital realm and has thus far released three NFTs. The first being The Currency, followed by Great Expectations and the latest of which is entitled The Empresses. Had you purchased his very first NFT (for $2,000), you were gifted the second. Aside from owning a Damien Hirst original, the value of these works skyrocketed on the secondary market. Currently, the lowest priced one is a little under $12,000 so for those who managed to get one, they’ve profited hugely. It’s a given that established artists entering the scene should be taken note of.

But what should you buy and what should you look out for?

The Empresses are currently at a price of 1 Ethereum which equates to around £2,180.

It’s not an insignificant amount of money, but it is a signed print by Damien Hirst with the NFT acting as a ticket to cash in to receive the print. It’s also worth noting the relative downturn the Crypto and NFT market has taken over the last few months so it’s reasonable to expect the floor price to rise from an investment perspective. Especially as the supply of these will continue to reduce. From a collector’s standpoint through, there aren’t too many pieces from Damien Hirst at this size and price, and they are of course quite stunning.

Speaking of collectors, it’s personal preference. There’s such a wide variety of artists from a host of disciplines, from skaters like Glen Fox to Ballroom dancers, traditional artists and the ones who have spearheaded the space - that being digital artists.

NFTs have allowed them to enter a market they have never had access to.

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England and Nationwide collaborate in campaign for equality and respect on eve of this summer’s European Championships

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ith excitement and anticipation building around this summer’s Women’s European Championships in England, the Lionesses have teamed up with Nationwide to produce an inspiring grassroots campaign. The project, labelled ‘Where Greatness is Made’, is designed to honour the glittering careers of past (and present) England skippers, encourage mutual respect throughout the ladies’ game, and enthuse the next crop of elite-level female footballers.

Nationwide have long-held an affiliation with England’s national sides, and believe that their own set of business values are consistent with those championed by the Football Association. Paul Hibbs, Director of Advertising and Marketing at the world ‘s largest building society, endorsed this notion in a recent press release.

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‘’We’re delighted to be working with England Football once again to promote mutual respect, both on and off the pitch. At Nationwide, mutual respect has aways been a core value to us’’ said Hibbs, adding ‘’we’re incredibly proud to be able to drive such a positive message and promote equality, respect and inclusivity in society.’’

The campaign will use innovative methods to celebrate the role of seven Lionesses’ captains, including current chief, Manchester City defender Steph Houghton. Within their respective communities, a commemorative plaque for each of the seven players will be unveiled, a permanent marker of their efforts to develop a culture of respect throughout the sport. These statues will be integrated with a QR code, which possesses a link to a dedicated site. From here, fans and admirers can access content about the captains’ personal achievements in football, and also get a glimpse into the dynamics of the local community in which they hail from. England’s inaugural captain, Sheila Parker, who led the Lionesses out against the Scots in their inaugural competitive fixture in 1972, was the first player to have her plaque erected in her native Chorley.

‘Where Greatness is Made’ dovetails with last year’s ‘Coin for Respect’ initiative, which saw Nationwide Building Society set an ambitious target of one million female players and coaches offering their support to the ‘England Football Respect’ drive by 2023.

The latest campaign will see the publishing of a number of engaging videos, detailing the players’ individual paths to stardom, set against an unfiltered backdrop of their respective beginnings in the game. The footage will look to inspire a youthful audience, and showcase equality and respect in action. Emma Jones, the Welsh journalist turned television presenter, will host these videos.

It’s believed that Jones’ successes in a vocation traditionally favoured towards males, will allow her to suitably reflect the importance of equality in sport. Jones was quick to lend her support to the project, commenting ‘’I feel honoured that I was asked to be part of what will be such a special campaign. Women’s football and women’ sport in general is going from strength to strength and it’s great to be involved in something that will hopefully inspire a lot of people around the country’’.

Nationwide hope to gain further traction through the release of ‘Mutual Respect Grants’, earmarked for those ‘who’ve gone above and beyond to build mutual respect in grassroots football’. A total of 50, individual £1,000 awards will be allocated by the close of 2022.

A series of England’s male internationals have also thrown weight behind the ‘Where Greatness is Made’ campaign, with Premiership regulars Jordan Henderson, Connor Coady, and James Ward-Prowse all expressing their support. The players, who each skipper their parent clubs, were not shy in stressing the critical impact that respect has in the men’s game. ‘’Respect is a big part of the way that I like the teams that I play in and the players that I play with to have, not only on the pitch, but around the training ground’’ said Henderson, who has certainly demonstrated his respect to fans, team mates, and coaches in recent times. Furthermore, Wolves captain Connor Coady stated, ‘’campaigns built on respect are huge. It’s an opportunity to speak about how big respect is within the world, and not just football, I think it’s a huge part of life.’’ Southampton midfielder, James Ward-Prowse, stressed that ‘mutual respect is massive, because I think that’s what helps a team be successful’’ In less than 100 days, Old Trafford will preside over the opening fixture of Euro 2022. England will welcome Austria to Manchester, hoping that this will be the start of a journey that sees them go at least one better than their last European Championship adventure.

As per the World Cup performance in France two years ago, the Lionesses stumbled at the semi-final stage at Euro 2017. Houghton, who could surpass 125 caps come July, has already skippered the side to their best ever finish at a major tournament.

Prior to kick-off, Nationwide will unfurl a flag, emblazoned with words of encouragement and support from fans across the four corners of the country. A fitting ending to a campaign that promises to boost equality, respect, and integrity throughout the women’s game, and inspire the next generation of talented youngsters.

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Polestar

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concept envisions new age for electric roadsters

• Second concept car from Polestar builds on Precept design language • Bespoke aluminium platform showcases quality and rigidity • Sustainability and technology ambitions take next steps toward greater circularity with recycled polyester thermoplastic mono-material and aluminium labelling • Autonomous cinematic drone mixes innovation with fun

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Polestar, the pure play electric performance car brand, has revealed a new concept car that redefines sports roadsters for the electric age. Named Polestar O2, the hard-top convertible is Polestar’s vision of open-top performance and a thrilling driving experience – with all the benefits of electric mobility.

“Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand,”

“Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand,” comments Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house. It looks incredible, and being able to lower the roof and not hear an engine promises a superb sensation.”

DYNAMICS Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design, says: “Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars. By mixing the joy of open top driving with the purity of electric mobility, it unlocks a new mix of emotions in a car. But as with all our cars, we are about more than just straight line sprints. It’s when you turn the steering wheel that the true fun begins.”

The driving experience in the Polestar O2 is designed to be lively, light and full of confidence. Predictability and playfulness are core to exciting, spirited driving.

Tight body control, high rigidity and intuitive dynamics are inherent benefits of the bespoke bonded aluminium platform which is adapted from the Polestar 5, developed in-house by Polestar’s R&D team in the UK. The high quality and rigidity of the bonded aluminium platform are geared towards heightened dynamic response. Handling dynamics are taut thanks also to small roll angles and high roll damping, and the agile, direct steering feel is linear, with great steering torque build-up.

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DESIGN Clearly related to the Polestar Precept concept car but with its own distinct character, the look of Polestar O2 shows how Polestar’s evolving design language can be adapted to different body styles with a strong family resemblance. The low and wide body with an assertive stance, compact 2+2 cabin design, minimal overhangs and a long wheelbase, embody classic sports car proportions but with a clearly modern, electric feel.

“This car is a meeting point between technology and art, between precision and sculpture, with a determined but not aggressive stance,” continues Maximilian Missoni.

Aerodynamics are manipulated to maximise range thanks to disguised design features like integrated ducts that improve laminar air flow over the wheels and body sides, and the rear lights that function as air blades to reduce turbulence behind the car.

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y A N D T E C H N O L O G Y Polestar O2 also showcases advances in sustainability and technology. A new thermoplastic mono-material features extensively in the interior.

The term “mono-material” describes the use of a single base material to manufacture different components.

In Polestar O2, recycled polyester is the sole material used for all the soft components of the interior: foam, adhesive, 3D knit fibres and nonwoven lamination. This simplifies recycling and is a significant step towards greater circularity, while also reducing weight and waste.

Polestar sustainability teams believe that materials should be recycled, not downcycled. In Polestar O2, they have integrated a new method of controlling recycled content and improving circularity of metal components. Different grades of aluminium are used throughout the chassis to help deliver a thrilling driving experience.

These different grades are labelled, allowing them to be recycled more effectively and for their properties to be retained. High grade aluminium remains high grade, while other grades maintain their varied characteristics, allowing for greater material efficiency and a lower requirement for virgin aluminium.

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I N N O VAT I O N In a world increasingly driven by social media, the Polestar O2 features an autonomous cinematic drone integrated behind the rear seats. Developed in collaboration with Aerofugia’s consumer electronics brand Hoco Flow, the concept drone can be deployed while the car is moving, to record the perfect driving sequence.

Polestar engineers have developed a specialised aerofoil that raises behind the rear seats to create a calm area of negative pressure that allows the drone to take off when the car is on the move. The drone operates autonomously, automatically following the car at speeds up to 90 km/h, and the driver can choose between an atmospheric sequence – great for a coastline cruise – or a more action-filled sequence with a sportier expression.

After filming, the drone can autonomously return to the car. Video clips can be edited and shared directly from the 15-inch centre display when the car is parked.

“We wanted to emphasise the experience you can have with a car like the Polestar O2 in new and unusual ways,” continues Maximilian Missoni.

“Integrating an autonomous cinematic drone was something that allowed us to push the boundaries on the innovation front. Not needing to stop and off-load the drone before filming, but rather deploying it at speed, is a key benefit to this innovative design.”

“We wanted to emphasise the experience you can have with a car like the Polestar O2 in new and unusual ways,” continues Maximilian Missoni. “Integrating an autonomous cinematic drone was something that allowed us to push the boundaries on the innovation front. Not needing to stop and offload the drone before filming, but rather deploying it at speed, is a key benefit to this innovative design.”

Polestar O2 continues the strong foundations laid by Polestar Precept as a vision of the company’s future design, technology and sustainability ambitions. Polestar plans to launch three new cars over the coming three years, starting in 2022, each of which has potential to gradually realise some of the ideas presented by these concept cars.

Polestar also intends to list on the Nasdaq in a proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW, and GGPIU), which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.

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ME R C EDE S A M G GT R PR E M I UM

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LUXURY S U V S A ND 4 X 4 S B E N T L E Y B E N T AY G A V 8

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PREMIUM, PRESTIGE AND LUXURY VEHICLE SPECIALISTS FLEXIBLE FUNDING OPTIONS FROM 12 MONTHS TO FIVE YEARS | DAILY AND LONG-TERM RENTAL CONTRACT HIRE AND FINANCE LEASE | SPECIALIST CAR SALES NEW AND USED VEHICLE SOURCING – ANY MAKE AND MODEL | VEHICLE AND FLEET PURCHASING

www.amtauto.co.uk | Telephone: 0113 333 9298

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BALR.

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BALR. brings the aspirational lifestyle of extraordinary athletes to everyone with its modern, premium athleisurewear collections, travel products and accessories. The label has made a name for itself with its sophisticated silhouettes, hard monochromatic lines and iconic branding.

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The new BALR. LAS VEGAS COLLECTION INVITES innovation in both design and print.

Clean cut comfortability meets a vibrancy in colour, creating the perfect product of both craft and creativity. This season luck lies with the 7’s and aces abstracted atop transitioning tees, hoodies and bombers; a celebration of all things bright, beautiful and blazing from the Neon Capital of the World.

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BALR. IBIZA GETAWAY, sees serenity find style in a collection that effortlessly envisions hot days tempering to cool nights. Lighter tones of blue, pink and brown reflect the change in season while BALR.’s classic logomania makes for the perfect printed pattern or hexagonal hardware. See the Spanish sun set in a range of tees, trunks and tracksuits that simply smile with the summer.

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The footwear collection has seen classic silhouettes updated with new premium materials. A combination of mesh, patent leather, nubuck and iconic metal eyelets and rivets are featured in the range. All crafted in Portugal to ensure the highest quality.

BALR. Iconic is its core collection of seasonless basics, consisting of T-shirts, sweats and shoes that sit alongside technical travel accessories. These logo-emblazoned, established essentials, elevate generic casualwear with modern cuts, clean trims and continuous comfort. All the cotton used, is sourced organically with 60% of the collection being manufactured using sustainable materials with a plan towards 100% in two years.

BALR. An international luxury lifestyle brand known for its high-end fashion, travel products and accessories for men and women. Founded in 2013 by Demy de Zeeuw, Juul Manders and Ralph de Geus, BALR. typifies the modern, aspirational lifestyle of an athlete. Worn by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Dani Alvez, Neymar Jr, Torres to name few, the brand has also collaborated with other global fashion players such as Puma, Rolex and Swarovski, as well as sponsoring the training kits for Manchester City Football team. Over and above the apparel BALR. lifestyle brand sells everything from branded Golf Carts to Vespas to Beds all in keeping with the brand ethos of luxury, style and aspiration.

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EMRE CAN x BALR. EMRE CAN IS BALR.’S NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR

THE GERMAN FOOTBALL STAR STARS IN “THROUGH THE EYES OF A BALR.” CAMPAIGN

German football star Emre Can is BALR.’s new brand ambassador. The player of Borussia Dortmund is featured in the brand’s latest campaign “Through the eyes of a BALR.”

THROUGH THE EYES OF A BALR. We all dream of the life of a BALR. And for some, through hard work and perseverance, this dream has become reality. It’s a small, select group and superstar Emre Can belongs to that group. The campaign takes a look through the eyes of Emre Can, showcasing his lifestyle, his ambitions, his love for fashion and football and shows why BALR. and Emre are inextricably linked to each other. It’s the world where football and fashion meet. Emre Can:

It pays off both on and off the pitch and BALR. is the brand that reflects that. I’m thrilled to be able to share my passion for fashion with this partnership.

Juul Manders, CEO of BALR. says: “Emre is known for being well-dressed, he’s able to play any position on the pitch and he’s a beloved player across the world. All in all, he is the perfect example of a BALR. and we’re extremely excited to work with him.”

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BALR. embodies the mindset that I have: work hard to achieve greatness.

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ABOUT BALR.

BALR. is a premium lifestyle brand inspired by the lifestyle of professional football players. Founded by Juul Manders, Ralph de Geus and Demy de Zeeuw, the Amsterdam-based brand offers a wide range of apparel, footwear and accessories designed for men. BALR. is available through BALR.com, one of its stores in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and at over 400 retailers worldwide.

ABOUT EMRE CAN Emre Can is a German professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team. A versatile player, Can has also played as a defensive midfielder, centre-back and full-back.

Emre Can previously played for Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and Juventus.

www.balr.com

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URBANISTA

LOS ANGELES - THE WORLD’S FIRST SELF-CHARGING HEADPHONES ARE AVAILABLE NOW

Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, are pleased to announce that the world’s first self-charging solar-powered, wireless active noisecancelling headphones, Urbanista Los Angeles, are now available now in Midnight Black and Sand Gold at www.urbanista.com/losangeles.

Urbanista Los Angeles brings a rare leap in headphone technology innovation to the market with a product that is designed to revolutionise your listening experience. With Urbanista Los Angeles, for the first time ever, you can experience virtually unlimited playtime with solar charging. Los Angeles never stops charging when exposed to light, both outdoors and indoors, providing a nonstop audio experience.

Enhance Your Experience with the Urbanista Mobile App To allow customers to get the most out of their product experience with Los Angeles, Urbanista launched their mobile companion app that is available at www.urbanista.com/app for both iOS and Android

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The highly anticipated solar-powered Los Angeles headphones are available now in Midnight Black

users. The app provides information on how to get the most of the product’s playtime, including visual indications of solar charge levels and usage, and the option to customise the headphones controls.

Anders Andreen, CEO, comments: “Los Angeles has been a highly anticipated product and an advancement in technology that our industry has been waiting for. We are pleased to announce Urbanista Los Angeles is now shipping worldwide and we are excited to be delivering this ground-breaking technology to the market. It is not often innovations such as this one come along and I am personally looking forward to seeing how our customers enjoy an entirely new way of consuming content on the go.”

Watch the full Urbanista Los Angeles “A New Dawn” campaign film and enter the dawn of a new era of solar powered headphones: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Oc2pVLlQirw&feature=youtu. be&ab_channel=Urbanista

Priced at GBP 169 / SEK 1999 / EUR 199 / USD 199 / NOK 1999 / DKK 1499 MSRP, Los Angeles comes in two stylish colours: Midnight Black and Sand Gold.

Urbanista Los Angeles is now available at www.urbanista.com/losangeles

For more information visit

www.urbanista.com Follow Urbanista on: Facebook | Instagram

Urbanista Los Angeles Key Features •

Virtually infinite playtime

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Dóttir IN-EAR ANC HEADPHONES The ergonomic design of the product allows for a very secure fit and hold.

Staying on your ears as you go through your most rigorous workout.

IPX7 waterproof rating means they are sweat and waterproof.

119.99 GBP COLOR ASH GREY WHITE BUY NOW ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION SECURE-FIT EARHOOK WATERPROOF (IPX7) TRUE WIRELESS UP TO 72H PLAY TIME 2021 REDDOT AWARD WINNER DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCT OVERVIEW TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION FIRM FIT TRUE WIRELESS WATERPROOF WIRELESS CHARGING

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About the product The Dóttir true wireless headphones are designed by CrossFitters for CrossFitters. Katrin and Annie were heavily involved in the entire process from initial product concept development through to the overall product testing. We are confident that the headphones will help you stay motivated and focused! As well as enjoy every minute of your workout, no matter how hard it is.

Dóttir in-ear headphones are expressly designed to withstand the rigours of elite sports competition. The new headphones take the sport headphone market to new heights, boasting innovative features specifically selected by two training partners and competitors — both two-time winners of the title “World’s Fittest Woman” at the CrossFit Games Katrin Davidsdottir and Annie Thorisdottir. Dóttir in-ear headphones have been awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021 and are designed for users to focus, to stay ahead of their own game.

Designed by Crossfit champions and manufactured to withstand even the most high-intensity training on land or in water, Dóttir in-ear headphones are available in White or Ash Grey and are ideal for any music lover looking for hours of noise free-listening - wherever their journey may lead.

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TWS330 NB "Edifier’s TWS330 NB deliver an excellent all-round listening experience. AAC HD audio decoding provides higher quality audio transmission and excellent sound quality, beautifully restoring every detail of sound. Whilst the earphone’s hybrid ANC technology creates a new depth of noise reduction of -38dB. The earbud comes with a charging case which has a Type-C charge port, and the earphones support quick charging (10min of charging will provide 60 minutes of listening). IP54 Dust and Waterproof makes them perfect for gym use.”

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Hybrid active noise cancellation technology Ambient sound mode AI call noise cancellation technology AAC audio decoding for high-definition audio 20 hours continuous playback IP54-rated dust and water resistance

RRP : £59.99 www.edifier.com/product-tws330-nb.html

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STM ChargeTree Swing The ChargeTree Swing charges three Apple devices wirelessly at the same time. With space for wireless phone charging, AirPods / AirPods Pro and Apple Watch, the ChargeTree Swing takes up minimal space on a desk or nightstand.

The added feature of the Swing ‘arm’ allows your Apple Watch face to be visible in nightstand mode whilst charging and means the arm can be swung neatly away when not in use.

RRP £69.95 More information at www.stmgoods.com/chargetree-swing/

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Boundary Technologies launches: Activity Alerts - New smart home security feature allows users to create personal alerts and get notified of any activity or inactivity in their home when their alarm system is disarmed

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new security alarm feature just launched by innovative smart home security Boundary Technologies that allows users to keep track of any expected activity or inactivity in their home even when their alarm is not armed.

Create personal alerts based on expected activity and get real time alerts straight to your phone.

Activity Alerts, a new feature launched by UKbased Boundary (www.boundary.co.uk) has been developed by a team of security experts using leading-edge technology to fill the safety gaps missed by traditional alarm systems.

The new feature allows the user to set up alerts if the Boundary smart home security sensors detect activity or inactivity within specific predetermined time frames and importantly, Activity Alerts tracks movement and is not seen by potentially invasive cameras.

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Customisable Security for Instant Insights For example, when taking care of an elderly or unwell family member, to ensure they are resting and not wandering around the house for example. It can also be used if a parent is out of the house at work and wishes to make sure their children don’t lie in, an inactivity alert can be set up to ensure that there is activity detected between certain times within the home and if movement is not detected the user will receive an alert. The alerts provide an added layer of security for those who can’t be there all the time.

Alerts are set up when the home security alarm is not armed, allowing the user to rest assured their loved ones are safe regardless. What’s more, the sensors allow families to maintain privacy within their homes due to the nature of the technology.

Industry standard tested Having passed a programme of rigorous pre-compliance testing, Boundary is undergoing testing to UK & European alarm standards BS EN 50131. Certification is now pending for Boundary to be known as a Grade 2 system, minimising false alarms and providing a higher level of security. This not only means that the alarm is robust and performs reliably, but that it is also tamper-proof to would-be burglars. As a grade 2 alarm system, homeowners can inform their home insurance provider and reduce premiums.

The user can choose what they wish to happen if the alarm is triggered – from immediate push notifications for self-monitoring and automated calling to keyholders (such as friends, family or neighbours), right up to professional monitoring with a level 1 direct response from the police (available from Spring 2022).

Smart Home enabled The Boundary alarm system is simple to install (if the user chooses a DIY bundle) and can be easily controlled from a smartphone, meaning that the owner has full control over their system no matter where they are. It can be integrated with existing smart home systems, including both Alexa and Google Home.

In addition to being fully controllable from your phone, the system has intelligent sensors designed to minimise false alarms (including those caused by pets).

Privacy assured Boundary systems use the same end-to-end encryption of data as internet banking applications, with over-theair security updates ensuring maximum protection.

Unlike similar products of its kind, Boundary is built to last, and thanks to its wireless set up, you can take it with you if you move house. What’s more, the system uses advanced algorithms and technology to check the system remotely, including battery life which, in the sensors, should last over a year.

Commenting on the new feature, Robin Knox, CEO and Founder of www.boundary.co.uk, said: At Boundary we understand that leaving older children, elderly or unwell family members at home alone while out and about can be stressful and concerning, especially alongside the threat of a burglar. We wanted to expand our smart alarm’s features to support people in this way.

The system is fully controllable from your phone and you can receive alerts for whatever you would like – if activity is detected or not detected. Therefore, we hope that the Activity Alerts will give owners some additional peace of mind, that they can allow their loved ones privacy, but also take care of them even when not present in their homes.

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NEW RESERVOIR

KANISTER SILVER A SI LVER VERSION OF THE 356 SPEEDSTER COUNTER ON THE WRIST,

POWERED BY THE NEW RESERVOIR RSV-240 WATCHMAKING CALIBER

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nspired by the counter of the mythical 356 Speedster automobile, the new RESERVOIR Kanister Silver inaugurates a silver-colored dial and the new RESERVOIR RSV-240 horological caliber, offering a power reserve of 56 hours, combining a patented and optimized proprietary module of three complications (retrograde minute, jumping hour, power reserve) with a manufacture movement (LJP-G100 base): a tribute to the spirit of freedom and speed of the 1950s!

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— T H E KANISTER COLLECTION Driving fast is not only synonymous with performance, it is also a way of life. First, second. The engine rattles, the trees scroll.

Everything is here. The hoped for moment becomes reality.

The senses are awakened, the intensity growing. Third fourth.

Rolling with your feet to the floor is essential to follow your route, when the pressure reaches its limits. That’s what’s on our minds when checking the time on his Kanister watch...

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— “ A LWAY S C HOOS E B OL D N ESS…” “ A furtive caress on the curve of the hood, gloved hands. I open the door. Click. I close it. Clack. The sound is reassuring, familiar. A look in the rear view mirror, a hand in the hair. Start. It is a soft, powerful voice. It is nearly 10.30 a.m. The sun is warming the bodywork. The engine is roaring. The tachometer needle comes to life. Thus is born audacity, when passion defies the ordinary. The leather of the seat passenger is weathered like an old bracelet.

He has seen it too. Sunlight streaks across the dashboard. On the mechanical timepiece, faithful ally of our adventures, the minutes tick away. It is time to go, the Kanister watch on your wrist. Its radical design is inspired by the speedometers of the mythical 356 Speedster automobile of the 1950s. The adrenaline is there, palpable, in search of a new playground The appointment is at noon. The beautiful stranger will wait, or not.

Tight turn on approach. Third, second. Braking. It dances in the curve. Palpitations. An eye on the Kanister. It’s almost noon. The colors of its dial are inspired by those of the tachometer of this car that I love so much. Its leather strap is reminiscent of saddlery. The phone is ringing. Hand brake. “Hello, yes…” Smile. For a moment, everything then becomes possible at the very moment when the will regains control, when the mind empties. The call ends.

Disappointed. The 356 is at a standstill, not the Kanister.

I take it off my wrist to admire, thanks to its transparent back, the beating of its mechanical heart - the RSV-240 caliber. I open the glove box to store the phone and change the strap thanks to the interchangeability system developed

by RESERVOIR. It’s almost noon. My gestures find their address until the ultimate thrill that closes the experience and sets the next hour in motion. Like an eternal departure. Startup. U-turn. I’m going back.

The beautiful stranger will wait, or not.”

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Driving fast is not only synonymous with performance, it is also a way of life. First, second. The engine rattles, the trees scroll.

Everything is here. The hoped-for moment becomes reality. The senses are awakened, the intensity growing. Third fourth. Rolling with your feet to the floor is essential to follow your route, when the pressure reaches its limits. That’s what’s on our minds when checking the time on the Kanister. Wearing it is the promise of a road-trip through time.

The radical nature of its alternative way of reading the time is the watchmaking signature that has made Reservoir such a success: jumping hours, retrograde minutes and power reserve. It is 11 a.m., the minute hand returns to its starting grid, as if traversed by a regular shudder. Another hour’s drive. And this mystery of waiting. Will she be there or not?

Only one obvious thing: never give up.

— R ES E RVOIR K A N IST ER SILVER The Kanister collection is inspired by the R.P.M. counter of the legendary 356 Speedster car. The new RESERVOIR Kanister Silver enriches the collection with a silver-finish dial, on which shine indexes and a minute hand with polished reflections. Worn on a timelessly elegant black or taupe leather strap, the Kanister collection pays tribute to the spirit of freedom and speed that blew during the decade of the 1950s.

The new Kanister Silver inaugurates the new watchmaking caliber RESERVOIR RSV-240. This self-winding mechanical caliber has a 56-hour power reserve and is made up of a proprietary patented three complication module coupled to a manufacture movement (LJP-G100 base).

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Unique

Royal Oak on offer for over £575,000

For those seeking extravagance and opulence, a one of a kind Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Aventurine is on sale at a luxury watch boutique in Mayfair.

Experts at DWL in Burlington Arcade believe the ref. 14813BA they have acquired was made exclusively for a VIP. Only a handful of the rare ref. 14813's feature black Aventurine dials and the rest of these models are constructed from 18kt white gold. The 14813BA is offered with a £505,000 price tag because this is the only black Aventurine dial in existence that is surrounded by 18kt yellow gold.

The ref. 14813 is a mid-sized 36mm variant, which makes it a unisex option. The model features a factory diamond-set bezel, with each of its eight sides sporting five brilliant cut diamonds, as well as diamond set hour markers. With the black dial containing semi-precious quartz crystals characterised by translucency and the presence of mineral inclusions, the Aventurine is said to resemble the night sky.

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DWL’s Client Services Director, Danny Shahid, commented: “We are always sourcing very rare watches but this Aventurine is the most exclusive timepiece we have ever had to offer. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the most iconic watches of all time and one that all collectors should invest in, recently celebrating its 50th anniversary. With the watch market’s buoyancy showing no signs of abating, this very special Royal Oak Aventurine may well appreciate significantly over the coming months.”

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak rebirthed luxury watchmaking after the onslaught of the Quartz Crisis decimated the industry.

Launched in 1972, the Royal Oak gave rise to the integrated bracelet luxury stainless steel sports watch that still remains on trend. With its exposed screws, octagonal bezel and visible rubber gaskets, the Royal Oak branched away from traditional design norms. Over the decades since its inception, the Royal Oak collection has expanded over dozens of references with different dial variants, construction materials, complications, sizes and styles.

Produced in the early to mid-1990s, the ref. 14813 was confirmed by AP to feature 12 different dial options across its extremely limited number of examples. Most common of all is the blue diamond-set Lapis Lazuli dial variant, with mother of pearl dials also quite numerous across the reference.

Danny Shahid’s flagship DWL shop is in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade, the home of luxury boutiques. DWL has more than 16 years’ experience in sourcing rare and big name watches, some of which are subject to lengthy waiting lists elsewhere. Staff are often asked for their expert opinion by fellow jewellers and retailers. The luxury watch experts’ stock is constantly changing but they have immediate access to more than one hundred exquisite models, most worth between £10,000 and £40,000 but some with a value of over £500,000.

For more information about DWL, please visit

www.diamondwatcheslondon.com and to find out more about

Danny Shahid, follow @excellencebydanny on Instagram.

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NE BU L A 4 1. 5 S TEEL

A new star

armonious, radiant and intense, the Nebula’s skeleton movement reveals a structure in grey and blue tones. It combines steel with a PVD treatment on diametrically opposing bridges for a perfectly chic visual effect. In addition to being the most symmetrical of Arnold & Son’s watches, it is ultra-thin, at just 8.73 mm.

Available with a steel bracelet or a blue rubber strap, the Nebula 41.5 Steel radiates cool and intense elegance.

The first generation of the Nebula established its place in the House’s galaxy. Drawing on the legacy of John Arnold, a new star emerges to join this collection. The Nebula 41.5 Steel introduces different colour treatments, new finishes, and new, even more powerful and attractive details.

Inside and out The name Nebula was chosen as a reference to the giant cloud of dust and gas in space. Some nebulas emerge from the gas and dust expelled when a dying star, like a supernova, explodes. Other nebulas are regions where new stars start to form. The seven bridges on the dial side of this timepiece radiate from the centre outwards, giving this sculptural movement the impression of a cosmic explosion.

The A&S5201 calibre was specially created for this piece and brings all of its character. It is set apart by its skeletonisation and almost perfect symmetry. The traditional shape of its bridges harks back to John Arnold’s chronometers and their openworked structure accentuates the feeling of lightness in a very mechanistic design.

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Two-tone

Fully equipped

The bridges of the A&S5201 calibre are palladiumtreated, giving a sheen that echoes the steel case. The main plate, barrel covers, and dial flange have been coloured with a blue PVD treatment. The Nebula 41.5 Steel is fitted with either a three-link steel bracelet or a ballistic-type rubber strap with a woven-look surface. The two-tone aesthetic adorns the interior and exterior, the substance of the watch and the details.

The A&S5201 calibre was conceived as a skeleton mechanism instead of being modified by removing material. The result is a completely clear and legible display on both sides. One by one, the components reveal their subtle finishes, adopting strict, fluid forms. The sum of these details and the overall approach make this calibre a special case in the exclusive circle of skeleton movements. For instance, it presents a total power reserve of 90 hours, only requiring it to be hand-wound every three-and-a-half days.

At 4 mm thick, the calibre contributes to the piece’s overall slimness. The Nebula 41.5 Steel measures 8.73 mm thick, making it a natural member of the ultra-thin category.

High altitude The A&S5201 calibre has also undergone several developments in addition to the new blue colouring. The balance wheel is now rhodium-plated to match the gear train and perfectly coordinate with the small seconds placed opposite. The main plate, particularly its reverse side, features “Rayons de la Gloire” finishes, a surface treatment similar to sunray-brushing in a wave shape. Arnold & Son rises magnificently to the challenge of sending its Nebula 41.5 Steel into a new orbit.

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PHONE STAND & GRIP DESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND

A slim & functional phone stand and grip, which clicks into place for everyday use. CLCKR Stands By You.

CLCKR.COM

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Introducing www.thegreekvillas.com

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he Greek Villas has recently celebrated its 10 Year Anniversary, having been created as a passion project by brother and sister Vasilis and Anezina Pandis in 2010 with just two properties. The Greek Villas now has one of the most expansive collections of luxury villas scattered across the Greek islands.

The portfolio consists of over 650 carefully selected villas in 32 Greek Islands, with a strong presence in the Cyclades and Ionian. Oozing true luxury, these exclusive villas combine the indulgences of a five-star hotel, without compromising the comforts and familiarities of home. Many properties have direct access to private or secluded beaches, sporting facilities, near towns and so much more.

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t r ave l The Greek Villas offers an array of exquisite villas and unique experiences perfectly suited for those looking for the ultimate indulgent holiday. No lavish Grecian holiday would be complete without enjoying the various extravagant experiences on offer and The Greek Villas is no exception.

Eager to provide an unforgettable holiday, the team can arrange any number of luxury experiences in Mykonos suitable for friends, families or for a romantic couples’ trip.

From yoga, Zumba and personal training sessions, to water-skiing, kite surfing and sailing, there’s something for everyone.

Sometimes all we need is a pool to lounge by, but occasionally, we yearn for something more from our holiday and wish to return having learnt something new and to keep us entertained, active and stimulated. Whether looking for a private speedboat to zip between islands and practice waterskiing techniques or an opulent chartered yacht, guests can break up their island holiday to discover hidden beaches and isolated islands. The Greek Villas is on hand to personally cater to their guests’ every need and deliver the very best holiday imaginable.

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Mykonos may be known as the party island of Greece, but beyond this glamorous façade is an island of beautiful beaches, serene sunrises and endless family-friendly activities. The popular island has a captivating energy that draws visitors back time and again. The Greek Villas has one of most expansive collections of luxury villas scattered across the Greek islands and Mykonos in particular. Whether the preference is for a traditional Greek home or perhaps a newly built renovation, with crisp, contemporary design and simple yet stylish décor, The Greek Villas will provide a home away from home in Mykonos.

As experts for Greece, and in particular Mykonos, The Greek Villas will recommend the very best restaurants and Tavernas to visit for a delicious meal. For those who prefer to eat in the privacy of their own home, The Greek Villas work with only the finest Greek chefs and can provide a private chef to create gourmet feasts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A private cooking lesson can be arranged to allow you to uncover the secrets to Greek cooking. For those looking to wet the palette, The Greek Villas has strong relationships with local wineries and vineyards to arrange a romantic wine tasting experience.

For guests looking for some self-indulgence, The Greek Villas can arrange for spa treatments to be experienced from the comfort of the villa, from massages and facials to manicures and pedicures.

With exquisite beaches, crystal-clear waters, dramatic coastlines and sensational Mediterranean cuisine it’s no wonder why Mykonos is one of the most popular Greek islands. With a 24/7 VIP concierge, The Greek Villas team is on hand to not only find the perfect villa tailored to guests’ needs and desires, but also ensure that every detail from catering and childcare to activities and luxury experiences are all taken care of, ensuring that guests unearth the true Mykonos.

www.thegreekvillas.com

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Hotel

Chais Monet,

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Review

he stunning Hotel Chaiss Monet is located on the outskirts of Cognac, the picturesque commune that lends its name to the worldfamous brandy tipple. This commanding structure was first built in the nineteenth century, serving as a trading house and cellar, but its harsher features have now been softened, creating a convivial and luxurious environment for guests. Its designers have managed to strike the subtle balance between contemporary and classic, complementing the buildings original components with an unmistakable modern edge. Newly-constructed glass pavilions meet untouched oak beams, and a Hollywood-style atrium staircase retains a traditional French elegance.

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Chaiss Monet’s beautiful estate encompasses 92 rooms, several top-notch eateries, a rooftop hang-out, a jazz-inspired bar, and a multi-faceted spa, not to mention two classic Citroen CV2 vehicles parked at the front of its sprawling grounds (which are incidentally readily available for guest use). All of this sits within touching distance of one of the epicentres of spirit production, with over 400 Cognac Houses in close proximity.

Cognac is fast-becoming a hotspot for younger, more eclectic mix of visitors, eager to sample both the alcoholic and atmospheric delights of this particular corner of south-western France. Once a playground for the noble elite, the Cognac now celebrates the arrival of those from all walks of life, creating a vibrancy and energy around this intriguing little town.

EATING

Guests won’t be short of culinary options, regardless of their mood or pallet. Nevertheless, the award-winning Les Foudres restaurant steals the show, with Head Chef Marc Antoine-Lepage offering a smorgasbord of exquisite dishes, with each presented in his unmistakable artistic style.

Again, the theme of architectural preservation washes through, with the dining area positioned directly underneath cask barrels kept from a bygone era. Unsurprisingly, Les Foundres recently acquired its first Michelin star, deserved reward for a restaurant which delivers in every department. A lavish, five-course tasting menu is available for €135.

If it’s a slightly more modest fare you desire, but with all the same hallmarks of quality, you can visit La Distillerie, where a traditional French menu awaits. Chaiss Monet also boasts the quaint Angelique Café, serving afternoon tea and other, lighter aperitives.

DRINKING The hotel certainly doesn’t neglect its opportunity to indulge in its local identity. The exuberant, jazz-inspired Le 1838, has the most diverse range of single batch and limited-edition cognacs on the planet, presiding over 220 unique blends of the Charente region’s most famous export. Don’t forget, you’ll be able to hone

your tastebuds here before heading out into Cognac’s network of distilleries- even Jay-Z owns a Cognac House in the locality! For a particular vivid experience of the production process, head out between October and March, when the ‘distillation period’ is in full swing.

Cognac: ROOMS

Chaiss Monet’s 92 rooms are loosely categorized into four themes, with each giving a nod to the colours associated with Cognac’s distillation journey towards full maturity. Whether its autumnal glows or smoky shades, each room sets a calming ambience, and emits a sense of comfort and warmth. All accommodation is equipped with both indoor and outdoor seating facilities, and all furniture blends seamlessly into the external hotel décor. In a memorable touch of class, all bathrooms possess a range of cosmetics sourced from the French capital of perfume, Grasse. Spacious apartments for larger parties are also available, as is a deluxe suite.

SPA

The spa provides a range of treatments and facilities, creating the conditions for ultimate relaxation and serenity. The ‘shower experiences’ are a particular guest favourite, whereby individuals can manipulate their environment dependent on their personal preference. Whether it’s sleepy, cascading waters with melodic birdsongs, or a rapturous thunderstorm complete

with heavy rainfall, guests are invited to embrace a range of different atmospheres, all designed to accentuate that feeling of tranquillity and ease.

Indoor and outdoor pools are accompanied by a state-of-the-art jacuzzi, and an onsite gym is available for those looking to engage in a more rigorous body workout.

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The Fellows House perfectly embodies the history and tradition of the City of Cambridge through a wonderfully planned and executed interior design. Operated as part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, the hotel delicately blends the tradition of the world’s most famous University city with the modern day styling that we come to desire during a stay away from home. Located just north of Jesus Green and Midsummer Common, the hotel is within walking distance of the historic and bustling Cambridge city centre.

The hotel remained resilient through the pandemic during its build stage and after many obstacles it is now available for guests to come and enjoy the fantastic facilities that it has to offer. The Folio Bar & Kitchen comes highly recommended, offering a creative and expansive menu as well as a cocktail list that has been suitably named after famous scholars from the University of Cambridge. A theme that does not stop at the Cocktail menu!

The Fellows House – Cambridge

In addition to the delights of The Folio Bar & Kitchen, the hotel also offers up a locally-sourced, healthy and sustainable food and drink option via The Sage of Cambridge, another on-site restaurant – albeit a more café, takeaway style.

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When you’re not enjoying the superb food options available, The Fellows House also boasts a modern gym filled with the very latest exercise equipment. If you are looking to keep active but perhaps the gym isn’t your thing then you can also make use of the swimming pool facilities onsite, free to use for all guests staying at the Hotel.

Designed, styled and laid out as an apartment-style hotel, The Fellows House is perfect for a longer, more extended stay or indeed if you are looking for some home comforts on a short break. The hotel, through no coincidence, hosts a number of long term guests and has proven to be a hit with overseas students looking for accommodation options that does not require them to remain committed during non-term time.

It is no surprise that The Fellows House has already proven attractive to such a wide variety of guests.

When staying at the Hotel you instantly feel a warm and much welcomed sense of a home. In fact it blends all of the enjoyable aspects of a hotel with home comforts.

All of the rooms have been deliberately designed to give this feeling, through having kitchen facilities, living rooms with doors and a high level of comfort with sofas and seating areas. In fact, the hotel also offers two-story rooms, allowing living and sleeping quarters to be separate on different floors, naturally providing the feeling of being in a house.

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Talking of houses, rather uniquely, The Fellows House also has a portfolio of homes set to the rear of the main hotel building.

These houses, much like the hotel rooms, are available to book on a short or long term basis and are perfect for groups or families heading to the city of Cambridge.

As mentioned, the cocktail menu has a wide variety of options, all named after University of Cambridge Alumni.

Given its intended connection to the University, The Fellows House has also named it’s rooms after notable students including the likes of Sir David Attenborough, Charles Darwin and Thomas Kipling to name a few. Each room consisting of its own unique style and layout.

The Fellows House has established an identity that must be experienced.

From the design, food and layout, the hotel offers a great experience for every occasion. With all of its character, what really showcases its quality is the superb team assembled to manage the day-to-day running of the hotel. From front of house through to the waiters and waitresses and bar tenders. Every member of the team is approachable and caring and above all highly knowledgeable.

A superb asset to a wonderful hotel, that really should be on your list when next visiting Cambridge.

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B ÜR G ENSTOCK

H o tel s & Res o r t L a k e L uc e r n e

A L e ge nd .

S i n ce 1873 .

Famous guests were instrumental in making a legend of the Bürgenstock Resort.

Now, a new chapter has begun: with four hotels, a Health & Medical Excellence Centre, Residence Suites with hotel service, business facilities, two extraordinary wellness oases (Bürgenstock Alpine Spa & Waldhotel Spa), as well as ten restaurants, bars & lounges.

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BÜRGENSTO C K HOT E L & A L P I NE S PA Opened in 2017 the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa features modern architecture and contemporary design in its 102 rooms and suites with incredible views 500m above Lake Lucerne.

The spacious rooms, ranging from 42 to 678 m², are all equipped with exquisite materials and stylish designer furniture. This is where guests arrive via the legendary Bürgenstock Funicular, then proceed over the Piazza to the magnificent terrace, Shopping Arcade, and Alpine Garden.

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TH E WALDH OTEL HEA LT H & ME DI CAL E XCELLEN CE

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The Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence, designed

In addition to various beauty and relaxation treatments,

by star architect Matteo Thun, combines extraordinary

the hotel provides medical check-ups, post-operative

architecture with cutting-edge medical standards.

convalescence and treatments for burnout patients. In the

Regeneration and prevention at the highest level, with

23 elegant, specially designed rehabilitation rooms, you

137 rooms and suites and the integrated Waldhotel Spa.

will find an perfect temporary home away from home.

PA LACE H OTE L LA KE LUCE RN E The historic Palace Hotel, built in 1903, has been fully renovated and features 109 rooms and suites combining elements of the historical Grand Hotel with touches of modernity. Generous rooms and suites, ranging from 33 to 120 m², offer amazing views of Lake Lucerne and the Alps of Central Switzerland.

The modern event venues, covering 2,200 m², are the ideal settings for successful meetings and unforgettable celebrations, making the Palace Hotel the ideal location for both business and leisure travellers.

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YOUR ARRIVAL AT THE RESORT

Enjoy a spectacular arrival with the shuttle ship from Lucerne and the Bürgenstock funicular. Or simply travel by train and post bus or by private car. There are also several landing areas at the resort where you can arrive by helicopter. If you travel by private jet, you can use Buochs Airport, which is a 15-minute journey away from the resort.

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F O OT B AL L ERS L I F E R EVIEW

BÜ RGEN STO CK H OTE L

The third and final location on our Swiss journey was the Bürgenstock Hotel located on the Burgenberg Mountain above Lake Lucerne. We found the Schweizerhof Hotel and Royal Savoy to be very impressive, but the Bürgenstock Hotel is elite. Set high up in the mountains, onto a backdrop which is beyond comprehension, the Bürgenstock offers everything and lacks nothing.

From its origins in 1873 to its heyday in the Fifties and Sixties, when Hollywood stars including the likes of Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn lived here, the Bürgenstock Resort has a unique heritage. After a nineyear £440m renovation, the resort, situated 500m above Lake Lucerne is fittingly spectacular. Just be prepared for the breath taking train journey that you embark on as you rise up into the mountains and into the hotel’s lobby.

The Bürgenstock is a one-of-a-kind resort that boasts world class services which includes medical treatment and multiple sports facilities. Guests can also indulge in steam, sauna and infrared sessions, hot and cold Kneipp baths, an ice room, a natural pond, a lap pool, and a heated brine bath with a salt content of 30%.

Furthermore, there’s a well-equipped 24-hour gym with a program of fitness classes, and there are 15 spa treatment rooms, and three private spa suites. The body and face treatments use suitably quality brands such as La Prairie.

The Bürgenstock is placed at the pinnacle of European hotels, not just in its position above sea level! The sheer quality of its location, facilities, cuisine, style and staff makes this a resort that you must, at least once, visit in your lifetime.

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The Wyndham Grand Algarve Residences are located at the Wyndham Grand Algarve hotel in the heart of Quinta Do Lago in the Algarve, Portugal. Renowned for its natural, rugged beauty and golden sand beaches, Quinta Do Lago is also one of Europe’s most exclusive golfing, leisure and lifestyle resorts.

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Wyndham Grand Algarve

- A Place to Invest

yndham Grand Algarve Residences, at the recently renovated Wyndham Grand Algarve hotel, offers an unrivalled opportunity for those looking for a second home investment opportunity. With access to the exclusive and sought-after location of Quinta Do Lago, set within the protected Ria Formosa national park, and some of the best golf and sports facilities in the world, this is five-star hotel living at its finest.

Owners of a residence are also eligible to apply for a Portuguese Golden Visa, a scheme that ended for other many regions in Portugal this year, including the Algarve. The Portugal Golden Visa programme is one of the most popular residency by investment programmes in the world, designed for non-EU citizens.

The Portuguese Golden Visa offers five years’ residency rights and visa free travel within the Schengen area of 26 European states, the opportunity to live and work in the country and ultimately to apply for Portuguese citizenship after five years. Golden Visa investors benefit from no income tax on worldwide income generated outside of Portugal. Of great benefit to families, who are drawn to the Quinta do Lago outdoor lifestyle, dependent children can also study in Portugal.

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The 132 one, two and three-bedroom luxury private residences offer both longterm investment and guaranteed rental returns. Private residences range from €534,000 to €2,500,000.

In addition to Golden Visa eligibility, Wyndham Grand Algarve Residence owners are guaranteed a minimum 4% net annual return on investment for five years.

Director of Real Estate, Ana Damásio explains, “Investors are as excited by the exceptional amenities on offer at the resort as they are by the guaranteed return on investment. They are attracted by the golden visa scheme as it offers them long-term lifestyle and financial options that may not be as beneficial as their country of residence.

A reassessment of future lifestyle options and the access to the many benefits that a second home in the Algarve can provide is a key driver of the high demand for homes that we are experiencing.”

Hotel Living The one, two and three bedroom residences available to own at the Wyndham Grand Algarve offer a home-away-from-home experience complete with everything you would expect from an upscale hotel. All residences are elegantly decorated offer a fully equipped kitchen, dining room, master en-suite bedroom with built-in wardrobes and private outdoor space for alfresco dining.

Suites are elegantly decorated, enhanced by modern upholstery, fixtures and fittings. Living and dining spaces converge in an open-plan style layout, with kitchens housing all necessary appliances. Each suite possesses an en-suite bathroom and dressing room, coupled with a sizeable guest bathroom and plenty of opportunities for storage.

From romantic, fine dining experiences to more relaxed and informal settings, the Wyndham Grand Algarve has a suite of culinary options to meet every requirement.

A premium selection of dishes, handpicked from across the globe, are available at the Caravela Restaurant. Alternatively, treat yourself to some native fayre by visiting the hotel’s Signature Restaurant – Dourado, whose menu comprises of items prepared using locally-sourced Mediterranean-style produce. The newly constructed lobby venue, the Grand Bar & Lounge, converts from a convivial space for Afternoon Tea during the day, to a glamorous cocktail bar by night. Nevertheless, if you’d prefer to eat in the comfort and privacy of your own accommodation, an around the clock in-suite offering is also available.

The Oasis Pool Bar provides ultimate convenience, ranging a selection of beverages for those relaxing on the sundeck or by the outdoor swimming pool.

Additionally, within the Quinta Do Lago resort there is a plethora of dining venues to choose from the beautiful Gigi’s located on a stretch of white sand with idyllic views of the Ria Formosa National Park to the Bovino Steakhouse with the finest steaks, awardwinning cocktails, striking décor.

The hotel also facilitates a children’s club and babysitting services, allowing grown-ups to engage in Quinta Do Logo’s extensive range of outdoor activities, visit one of the region’s splendid golf courses, or just lap up the coastal atmosphere on a scenic walk through the Ria Formosa Natural Park.

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Wellness and Spa The impressive Reflections Spa at the Wyndham Grand Algarve houses an indoor pool, steam room, sauna and spacious Jacuzzis. An extensive treatment menu in partnership with Elemis delivers a relaxing and rejuvenating experience with a variety of luxurious products and treatments. There is also a state of the art gymnasium and outdoor swimming pool at the hotel to enjoy.

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GOLF

Wyndham Grand Algarve is perfectly located within touching distance of five distinguished golf courses, all recognized as high-quality resorts.

Indeed, several regularly welcome professional players from the European PGA circuit. Quinta Do Lago’s sprawling network of canals, lakes, and sumptuous grasslands afford ideal conditions for crafting challenging holes. Add in some pretty remarkable backdrops, and you generate some of the most revered courses on the continent.

Furthermore, local authorities have partnered with the Golf Environment Organization (GEO) in a bid to promote green initiatives and sustainability.

Players can feel safe in the knowledge that on-site facilities are geared towards renewability, nature conservation, and the limitation of wastage.

The following courses reside just a short walk away from the Wyndham complex: The North Course: This iconic course, which demands a substantial amount of strategic focus and a number of skilful approach shots, was recently re-configured by leading U.S golf architect Beau Welling. To complete the project, he enlisted the help of Irish golf star Paul McGinley, the man who skippered Europe to Ryder Cup triumph in 2014.

The South Course: This course is known for its devilishly placed hazards and fluctuating hole difficulty, and has frequently hosted the prestigious Portuguese Open. The captivating beauty of the Ria Formosa Natural Park is particularly striking from this setting, with players able to indulge the sweeping, awe-inspiring views as they navigate the course.

Laranjal: Proudly in receipt of the Best Golf Course accolade at the 2011 Portuguese Travel Awards, Laranjal is positioned in the unassuming surroundings of an Orange Grove. The course not only boasts an aspirational environment, with its fairways fitted with imported Bermuda grass, but is also home to some of the most advanced golfing facilities on the planet.

The TaylorMade Performance Centre, blessed with state-of-theart equipment, pioneering technologies, and expert coaching personnel, is a hotspot for golfing excellence and development.

This dynamic training venue has the provision to produce specific clubs based on player gait and swing, and measure shot trajectory and velocity using Flight Scope X2 applications.

Slightly further away from the Wyndham Grand Algarve, but still comfortably within the confines of Quinta Do Lago, are four more top-tier courses. These include the Vale do Lobo Ocean, the Vale do Lobo Royal, San Lorenzo, and Pinheiros Altos. Each resort has its own set of definitive characteristics, which enables a varied playing experience for those visiting multiple courses in the local vicinity.

The Concierge team at the Wyndham Grand Algarve is readily available to support in arranging tee times, hiring equipment, golf lessons and general course advice. The Concierge is well versed on course location, layout and difficulty level.

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Outdoor Pursuits It would be remiss not to reference the incredible array of outdoor sporting activities available within the Quinta Do Lago region.

There are many miles of pristine coastline to explore, extraordinary fauna and flora on fishing and boat trips or while cycling, swimming, jogging, surfing, and horseback riding.

Adventurous water sport lovers can discover the enchanting Ria Formosa Natural Park while windsurfing or sailing across Quinta do Lago´s majestic lake or heading to the beach to waterski, kayak and stand-up paddle board.

There is no shortage of expert guides and coaches on hand to support your endeavours. If you’ve keen to head out to sea, but aren’t looking for an adrenalin hit, take advantage of a boat tour hosted by a local marine biologist.

The Campus is a premiere high-performance sports hub catered to everyone from residents and holidaymakers to professional athletes and international teams. The venue features an incredible 46,600 sqm of cutting-edge facilities and equipment dedicated to sport, fitness and wellness with expert fitness, rehabilitation, and training professionals. With a gym, tennis and padel courts, swimming pool, cycling, group classes and personal training , The Campus is dedicated to delivering elite sport to everyone, whatever the level or age group.

The Campus also has a dedicated bike rental service with models to suit road and countryside rides. Cycle independently to scope out the local area or a take a guided ride to discover the region’s hidden gems.

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INVESTING AT WYNDHAM GRAND ALGARVE

THE G O LD EN VI SA Wyndham Grand Algarve, part of the largest hotel franchise in the world, offers an exclusive property investment opportunity with a guaranteed 4% annual net return for five years (including service charges and fees) in the Algarve’s most exclusive resort of Quinta Do Lago. A collection of freehold residences with tailored rental ownership packages are available for effortless ownership, through a fully managed guest rental programme.

Wyndham Grand Algarve Residences is located in an exceptional region where it is still possible invest in a property in the coastal area of Quinta do Lago, Algarve, and apply for a Golden Visa.

Wyndham Grand Algarve Residences range from €534,000 to €2,500,000 For further information please visit www.wyndhamgrandalgarveresidences.com

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Introducing the new ALVA Yachts OCEAN ECO 60 Coupé

• OCEAN ECO 60 Coupé is a 18.4m catamaran, available with fully electric drive and comes fuel cell ready

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• Spacious layout and dramatic new styling

• First OCEAN ECO 60 Coupé sold and in production due to be ready by the end of 2022

LVA Yachts, the German builder of electric solar catamarans and sail boats, is pleased to announce the introduction of the OCEAN ECO 60 Coupé, a 18.4m multihull yacht with electric propulsion and transatlantic range.

The sleek sister to the OCEAN ECO 60 and ECO EX 60, the Coupé offers an unlimited range, generous social spaces and exceptional handling, even in the toughest conditions.

The first OCEAN ECO 60 Coupé has been sold to clients with a passion for diving and were drawn to its sleek aesthetic, its emission-free operation coupled with its generous internal and external deck space of 230m². The first kind of this vessel is now in production.

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• The solar cells provide up to 18kWp, battery bank capacity up to 280kWh • Twin 250kW electric motors and a top speed of 20 knots • Has a best in class beam 10.2 meters

As with the ECO 60, the new model has been designed with responsible yachting at its core. It’s expansive roof has been specifically conceived for its integrated solar panels, giving her a transatlantic range and virtually unlimited autonomy, as the panels take energy from the sun and store it in the battery packs that power the electric engines.

In the full-electric variant, the Coupé is powered by two 250kW electric motors, connected to a 150-280kWh battery pack, which is powered by sun and generators. The solar panels reach 18kWp (Kilowatt peak), which is best in class compared to competitors, while the diesel generators produce 2 x 100kW/ DC each.

Access to the water is easy from her twin bathing platforms. From bow to stern, this remarkable 10.2m beamed catamaran offers impressive space, modern style and stable sailing. The aft deck is appointed with plush U-shaped seating for 10 guests, perfect for al fresco dining or sunset cocktails. From here, guests can access the enclosed saloon and spectacular entertaining area. The generous galley comes complete with full size fridge-freezer and features a large separate island with bar and stools. To starboard, a large dining table for eight provides the perfect spot for family and friends to enjoy a meal.

A large L-shaped observation seating area accompanies the helm station with commanding views forward. Mid-ship two side companionways lead to the lower deck and accommodation. Two configurations are available with this model, the owner layout and the charter layout.

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CHELSEA SHOWROOM, 115 FULHAM ROAD, SW3 6RL chelsea@hastensstores.com +44 02072250974 / (0)2072252998

HÄSTENS STORE LONDON, FITZROVIA, 66-68 MARGARET STREET, W1W 8SR sales@hastensamersham.com +44 20 7436 0646 / +44 20 7436 0654

HÄSTENS BEDS HARRODS, 87-135 BROMPTON ROAD, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, SW1X 7XL hastens.harrods@hastens.com +44 (0)207 225 6748

d i r e c t o r y

Directory Greubel Forsey www.greubelforsey.com

Sheridans www.sheridans.co.uk

Watches of Switzerland www.watches-of-switzerland.co.uk

MPR Partners www.mprpartners.uk

Pocket Talk www.pocketalk.com

Twelve South www.twelvesouth.com

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Alexander James Interior Design www.aji.co.uk

AMT www.amtauto.co.uk

Patek Philippe www.patek.com

David Morris www.davidmorris.com

LawinSport www.lawinsport.com

Brand Finance www.brandfinance.com

OLBG www.olbg.com

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Blackphone www.blackphone.co.uk

Polestar www.polestar.com/uk

Hastens Beds www.hastens.com

The Luxury Network www.theluxurynetwork.co.uk

Palmer & Parker www.palmerparker.com

Charles Tyrwhitt www.ctshirts.com

JBL www.uk.jbl.com

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888Sport www.888sport.com

Clckr

A slim & functional phone stand and grip, which clicks into place for everyday use. CLCKR Stands By You. www.clckr.com CLCKR.COM

allplants www.allplants.com

Cambridge Audio www.cambridgeaudio.com

Perfectly Attired www.perfectlyattired.co.uk

Mobvoi www.mobvoi.com

Delphina Hotels www.delphinahotels.co.uk

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d i r e c t o r y

Meze Audio www.mezeaudio.com

Bamford London www.bamfordlondon.com

Urbanista www.urbanista.com

Maserati www.maserati.com

Klipsch www.klipsch.com

Mobvoi www.mobvoi.com

Polestar www.polestar.com

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Swiss Education Group www.swisseducation.com

USM www.usm.com

London Sock Company www.londonsockcompany.com

Airpulse www.airpulseaudio.com

Switzerland Tourism www.myswitzerland.com

Swiss Air www.swiss.com

Alexandra Llewellyn www.alexandrallewellyn.com

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Issue

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16

In this Edition a Special thanks to

Max Nilov Paul Duck Barry Brooks Sean Hunter Tony Simmons

Fraser Reid

David Cronin

Designer

Legal Advisor

Sub Editor

David de Vries

Nathalie Bradbury Quintessentially Editor

Deborah Arthurs

Marcio Quintela

Art Director

Duncan Pratt

Craig Boyland

Founder / Editor in Chief

Lifestyle Director

Fashion Advisor

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Reproduction in whole or part without Publishers permission is strictly prohibited. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct at the time of going to press, we cannot accept any responsibilty for any loss or innconvenience however caused.

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